Library of The Theological Seminary 


PRINCETON - NEW JERSEY 


DERE 
PRESENTED BY 


Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. 
Department of History 


Presb. B’d of Pub. Cell. 


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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2023 with funding from 
Princeton Theological Seminary Library 


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AN ANN 


ONLY A FACTORY GIRL. p. 10 


490 


CRYSTALS, 


meee 


ih 
Lass 


BY 


ANNE M. AIITCHELL, 


AUTHOR OF “FREED Boy IN ALABAMA,” “Tag GOLDEN PRIMER,” ETC, 


i 


“Which things 
Are crystals to cut life upon, 
Although such trifles.” 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION ’ 
1334 CHESTNUT STREET. 


eS 


Mel S5 ex on ete, 
4 OF P RAVER, 


<a 


Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE 
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 


In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 


Westcott & THOMSON, 
Stereotypers, Philada. 


PLL LLL LEP OPP 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

J. Every Day In THy Lire Is A LEAF IN 
THY TISTORY ca ccccess senseeevs epervanen saeeee 5 

IJ. A Precious PEARL MAY HAVE A PLAIN 
BETTING. icccecese soose Wada tecadudia daderetsaccees 27 
Ill. In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKG...... cesses oo OC 
LV. Gop 18 HIS OWN INTERPRETER. ....0000 cceeee 79 
V. CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES........00seceeeee 99 
VI. One 18 NoT SO SOON HEALED AS Hort... 111 

VIL. To Him wHo WItts, WAYS ARE SELDOM 
WANTING ...... Peariees Wadedunses saueunenaeneess 135 
VIII. No Lear Moves, put Gop WILLIs Iv...... 167 
IX. CoHrER Up; Gop IS WHERE HE WAG........ 185 
X. A Goop ACTION IS NEVER LOST .........000 205 


Brey sy vee ‘a ca we us inawr, ee ah WW ‘eh 

: | ‘a. i os 5 coe fe Een Sanh ee ae angng 1H eae J hike “ A, i 
en aaah A, Neva Teme. thas saute e iy : 
: a AV) * bale se ae sail e eo x vata! ‘e 


har ‘ na re 2 ae a Kae a ee 
ies age ere 


BB ts, poe ae ee | | 
ce eee ah i Peano snr eu 


oe oye nen “ beasctaly ets ia a L gi FR iii 
nt sei al: hash 


a 


Ghery Day in thy Mike is a Weak in thy 
History. 


cy ‘hae 


nae is 


oa 4 
My ae 


CRYSTALS. 


his 


EVERY DAY IN THY LIFE IS A LEAF IN 
THY HISTORY. 


AYLIGHT scarcely gone, a new 
moon in a clear evening sky, 
crisp, crackling snow under our 

feet, the freshly-lighted factory lamps 
shining out by hundreds, and ourselves 
walking briskly on, wrapped in furs, 
toward a beautifully-ordered home, 
where warmth and sweet greeting 
await us. Could life, do you think, 
Minnie, hold a more pleasant mo- 
ment?” ) 

So one of the two, who were taking 

7 


8 CRYSTALS. 


quick, cheerful steps toward home, 
said to the other. 

But a person behind them, a factory 
girl just from work, hearing the sen- 
tence, bitterly turned it from their joy 
and fullness to her sorrow and empti- 
ness. 

“Daylight gone,” she said to her- 
self, “a new moon in a chilly sky, 
hard, cold snow under the feet, those 
horrible lights glaring out on the air, 
bringing the close smell of the factory, 
with its din and whirl and jar and 
confusion, all about me, myself forlorn 
and hungry, walking homeward, thinly 
clad, to a scanty supper and a few 
hours of snatched rest. Could life 
hold a moment more dismal ?”’ | 

It was not Mary’s way to complain. 
For years she had measured the dis- 
tance daily between her home and the 


ORYSTALS. 9 


factory with the same hard work at 
the end, yet for the most part she had _ 
gone patiently, knowing that it was the 
path marked out for her, and accepting 
it as such. The same busy whirl and 
clatter had been ever around her at 
her work. She had seen the lights of 
the factory on the snow in winter 
hundreds of times, and her fingers had 
chilled as often in the keen air. Her 
rest had always been broken at early 
morning, and her food, although plen- 
tiful, was plain and coarse; yet until 
this night she had never complained. 
T think it must have been a sudden 
insight into a life such as she had 
never imagined, and so much above 
her own in comfort, which made her 
feel as she did. These few words, 
spoken by one who had all her heart 
could wish, days of ease and nights of 


“10 CRYSTALS. 


pleasure, roused all the bitterness of 
which she was capable. 

She gave one glance at the richly- 
robed figures before her, and her heart 
turning cold and hard against them, 
she pressed on quickly, drawing her 
thin shawl about her. 

“Only one of the factory girls,” said 
‘one to the other as she passed them 
‘quickly. . 

‘Only a factory girl!” Mary nite 
-ed bitterly to herself; “that is all lam 
or ever shall be—a poor, slaving fac- 
tory girl.” So there was no light’ in 
the clear evening sky for her, no beauty 
in the crystal-laden trees and the white- 
mantled earth. Walking on very 
‘hastily, she left the two young ladies 
far in the distance, and passed the gate 
of their home long before they came 
in sight of it. The large white house 


e 


CRYSTALS. 11 


stood back from the road and spread 
over a large portion of the ground. 
Out from between the heavy curtains 
of the large bow-window the firelight 
flickered on the snow and spread dia- 
monds there. Mary could see the rich 
furnishing of the room within, and a 
stately figure in long, sweeping robes 
moving to and fro from end to end of | 
the long parlor. Some one sat at an- 
instrument, for the sound of soft music 
just reached the ear of the outside 
listener. Elegance and comfort. re- 
peated everywhere. Mary’s face wore. 
a hard and bitter look as she turned 
from her moment’s hesitation, and it. 
had not died away when she opened 
the door of her home and. stepped 
Ipwai | i | | | 
Her mother, an aged. woman, was. 
moving about slowly, placing knives 


12 CRYSTALS, 


and forks on the table, and her young- 
er sister, just come in from a factory 
in an opposite direction, sat bending 
over the fire warming her chilled 
hands. 

“Come, girls,” said the mother, 
cheerfully; ‘I’ve a bit of hot meat for 
you to-night, and some fresh bread, 
with a cup of tea. Sit up to the table 
and have something to eat and drink. 
That will warm you sooner than any- 
thing.” 

The younger one sprang up and 
complied with the request, remarking 
that she was very thankful for some- 
thing warm. Mary obeyed too, but 
silently, and as she moodily broke the 
warm. corn-cake, she wondered what 
the two she had passed would have 
thought of such a supper. | 

“What is the matter with you to- 


CRYSTALS. 13 


night, Mary?’ asked her mother; 
“vou don’t seem happy.” 

‘Nothing is the matter, mother,” 
she returned, hesitating a moment, 
and finding no better excuse for her 


moodiness. 
Her supper strengthened and re- 


freshed her, if she only would have 
acknowledged it, but she was so unwill- 
ing to see anything but misery, and 
so discontented with her lot, that she 
almost accused a Providence which 
had placed her where she was, as she 
thought, to be miserable. 

She went to rest very soon. The 
fire had no charm for her, although it 
glowed most invitingly. All she cared 
for was to drown her misery in sleep. 
So leaving her mother and sister chat- 
ting in the warmth, she found her way 


up stairs into her cold room. Very 
2 


14 CRYSTALS. 


cheerless and desolate she felt it to be 
there, and ridding herself of her cloth- 
ing as quickly as possible, she placed 
herself in a bed which seemed hard | 
and cold, and sank almost immediate- 
ly into an uneasy slumber. When 
her sister came in she woke again. 

“ Why, Mary, how pretty it is here!” 
she said, cheerfully; “the moonlight is 
shining all over the floor and giving 
us a silver carpet. The weather is 
moderating, too, I think; at any rate 
it is one of the most charming nights 
I ever saw.” She was looking out of 
the window as she spoke, watching the 
moonbeams as they glistened on ten 
thousand points of ice and snow, while 
the twinkling lights of the factory vil- 
lage, unsteady as fire-flies, but, like 
them, bright and twinkling, dotted the 
country in every direction. Mary had 


CRYSTALS. 15 


stood at the window a minute when 
she first came up stairs, but she was ~ 
blind to the beauty of earth and sky. 
Nor had she any pleasure now from 
the moonlight upon the floor. “ Do 
let me sleep,” she said to her sister 
crossly, and turning from even the 
brightness within, slumbered again. 

So heavily did the words which she 
had heard sink into her memory that 
the morning did not fail to bring them 
back to her. Consequently the day 
was not a happy one, nor was the 
week that followed. It was a new life 
for her, this one of discontent and 
useless complaint, but she rather en- 
couraged the feeling. It made her 
more and more unhappy, and she was 
no longer the sunshine of a home | 
which needed all the brightness which 
it was possible to bring into it. 


16 CRYSTALS, \ 


This feeling had in no degree lessen- 
ed when the work-hours at the factory 
were suddenly shortened. It was 
whispered about that there was very 
little work. Mary and her compan- 
ions had more rest at night and less 
weary bodies, but the food was less, 
too, and the faces commenced to be 
care-worn and troubled. There was 
time for home-duties, but, alas! money 
was needed more than time, and it did 
not come. This for a while, and then 
the hours at the factory were very few. 
The great bell did not clang out its 
summons until nine o’clock in the 
morning, and it seemed like a knell 
when it sounded again at noon to send 
them home. Hands were dismissed 
by twos and threes, and faces com- 
menced to look despairing. One cor- 
ner of the factory was still always, 


CRYSTALS. 17 


and the silence seemed creeping, creep- 
ing into everybody’s heart. They ~ 
looked not backward upon more happy 
days, but forward to poverty and 
wretchedness. The wood in the shed 
and the coal in the cellar seemed to 
diminish fearfully. There were no 
merry sounds in the village as the 
evening fell, and each family gathered 
moodily round the hearth and were 
warmed by a fire which they knew not 
how they could replenish. 

By and by came a day when the 
great gates of the factory never moved 
upon their hinges, and the bell clap- 
per was still, and the faces which 
gathered about the building were — 
hopeless. Mary was among them, 
with no brighter look than the rest. 
Her hands and feet were numb with 


cold, but there was no open door to 
2% 


18 CRYSTALS. 


invite her to a warm fire within, while 
at home the coals were gathered in so 
small a heap that they had a fearful 
look. “No work, no work!” was the 
cry far and near, and haggard faces 
and anxious eyes saw nothing in the 
distance but starvation. 

Oh, it is pitiful when men and wo- 
men have to bend every effort of 
mind and body toward making a very 
little reach such a long way! More 
pitiful still when the little grows less 
constantly, and the house and its 
inmates show signs of constant hun- 
ger and come to wear a half-starved 
look like wild beasts. Mary lived, 
she never knew how, to see this grow- 
ing upon the home faces and feeling it 
on her own. Then her sister sickened, 
erew weaker, with nothing to nourish 
her and the absence of medical care. 


CRYSTALS. 19. 


Ah, how hard it was to stand and hear 
her cries with no relief at hand and | 
no money to purchase any! So hard, 
-so sore, the trials grew, that Mary cow- 
ered and shrank under them. At the 
first, for weeks she trudged every day 
to the factory doors, to find other 
patient souls waiting there before 
closed gates. She gave up at length, 
partly from hopelessness and partly 
for the reason that her shoes were worn 
out, and the constant walking over the 
cold snow was fearful to the already 
frost-bitten feet. It was then and 
afterward that she remained at home 
and sank down in despair. 

In the midst of this there came to 
them kindly helping hands. The 
young ladies whom she saw and heard 
came with gentle words and nourish- 
ing food to the starving, suffering 


20 CRYSTALS. 


work-people. There was but little 
which came to one among so many, 
but there were soothing words and 
comforts for the sick ; above all, loving 
care, which went a long way toward 
relief. Mary saw them almost every 
day. They came to her sister’s bed- 
side with soothing drink and fresh 
food, and, more blessed still, words of 
cheer. Her heart, which had grown 
hard against them at the seeming in- 
justice which gave them wealth when 
she had none, commenced to soften 
under the gentle Christian charity. 
She said nothing, but whereas at the 
first she would never see them when 
they came, she was now found every 
day by the side of her sister when 
they made their daily visits, and 
though she spoke but seldom, she 
grew sorry for her former feeling. 


CRYSTALS. 21 


_ At length there came a day, two, 
three days, when the ladies did not 
come. The sister was growing 
stronger, and the visitors had left some 
money at the last visit which was still 
untouched. The cottage was some 
distance from the village, and the snow 
had fallen again heavily, so there was 
sufficient excuse for their absence. 
Still it was not like them to be detained 
by a storm, and there was no one in 
the little cottage who did not miss them 
sadly. 

It grew urgent that some one should. 
go to the village for food, for all that 
was in the house was exhausted. Mary 
seeing no other alternative, drew some 
old woolen stockings over her worn 
shoes, and very reluctantly taking the 
money which had been given them, and 
a basket, stepped out of the house and 


22 CRYSTALS. 


walked toward the village for the first 
time in weeks. 

- It was after sunset, but she kept her 
eyes steadily fixed upon the ground, 
and her face, sharpened with hunger 
and soured from trouble, did not move 
from its one settled expression. She 
must pass the factory on her way, and 
she dreaded it. It seemed lke an 
evil spirit, with its closed doors and 
black windows, its heavy gate, upon 
which the hinges had grown rusty, 
and the silence which was like death. 
She knew without looking up what 
corner she was approaching and that 
it would give her, as she turned, a full 
view of the great black building, upon 
which starvation seemed to be written 
in such staring capitals. 

She turned it suddenly at last, and 

a full burst of light greeted her, with 


CRYSTALS. 25 


a noise of whirling, buzzing wheels. 
From every window in the great factory 
the lights were streaming, and the 
great gates, unlocked and thrown wide 
open, were crowded with men and 
teams, even at the evening-time, carry- 
ing in heavy loads of cotton. She 
fell on her knees in the fresh, white 
snow and cried aloud: ‘Oh what is 
this I see?” | 

“Work, girl, steady work!’ an- 
swered a man, cheerily, running by 
her on the snow and hastening into 
the factory. She knelt a moment 
longer, struggling for composure, and 
then, following the man’s steps, rushed 
into the factory, up the rough stair- 
case, through the  brightly-lighted 
room, and not stopping for the joyous 
words which greeted her: on every 
hand, went dashing on to her own 


24 CRYSTALS. 


loom. Once there she threw her bon- 
net and shawl aside and set the busy 
shuttle flying. 

Oh how they worked! Oh what 
music the clatter and din made for 
them! Oh how the tired hearts 
bounded and the idle fingers flew! 
They never worked so well; God grant 
that they may never work so again, 
for the movements were those of starv- 
ing people, and the faces that watched 
the busy looms were desperate. ‘The 
flying shuttles sang “ food for those at 
home,” and the hum of machinery 
was the return of better days. On 
and on flew the wheels, on and on the 
busy hands guided the shuttles, until 
the moon rose in the sky and the day- 
light was long gone. Then they de- 
parted only for a short time, until 
early morning, and carried with them 


CRYSTALS. 25 


light hearts, quick steps and words of 
cheerful greeting. 

Mary, too, came at last, stepping 
out of the lighted building into just 
such a night as the one she now so dis- 
tinctly remembered, when, amidst 
plenty of work and no care at home, 
she had angrily cried out against her 
fate. ‘O God, forgive me!” she said 
now, raising her clasped hand to heav- 
en. “I was unthankful and wrong, 
but I will never be so again. Bless 
those kind and gentle hands that 
have ministered to us in our need! 
May they never know the anguish 
of the starving, and may I live in 
true contentment, thankfully glad of 
all the joy the dear Lord sends to 
me !” 

She dropped her hands and looked 


about her. With another upward 
3 


26 CRYSTALS. 


glance of gratitude, she murmured : 
“Daylight gone, a new moon in a 
clear evening sky, crisp, crackling 
snow under my feet, the blessed factory 
lights gleaming like stars through the 
night, and myself going homeward to 
carry joy and hope to those awaiting 
me. God has given me a moment of 
true happiness.” 


It. 


A Precious Pearl may Yave x Plain Setting. 
27 


et ; ‘ * 
Ny , ah VF 
me Me 4 
dee a 5 i we oe a 


fis 


‘3 


ANK 
i 
‘) i 


II. 


A PRECIOUS PEARL MAY HAVE A PLAIN 
SETTING. 

ND, mamma, we are to have a 

grand sleigh-ride—four horses, 

a sleigh large enough to seat 

thirty of us, with buffalo robes and 

jingling bells, and a supper at the 

Bald Eagle. And teacher said mittens 

and hot bricks, and I want both pairs— 

the red and white tops and the all- 
white ones.” 

Such a hurry and excitement as the 
little girl was in! She ran in and out 
of the cold air, and finding her mother, 
rattled away to her as I have told you, 


never giving herself time to stop and 
37 29 


30 CRYSTALS. 


think or breathe until her story was 
all told. Then she dropped down on 
a stool with a little “Oh!” of pure 
weariness. 

Her mother laughed. “As much 
as I can gather from what you are so 
eager to tell,” said she, “is that the 
school is going sleigh-riding, and my 
daughter wishes to be one of the party. 
But what do you want with two pairs 
of mittens? You are not thinking of 
wearing both at once, I hope?” 

“No, mamma, no; only I was in 
such a hurry that I mixed it all up. I 
wanted to ask you if I might give one 
pair of mittens to Ada Wallace ?” 

“Give them to Ada? What for?” 

“Why, mamma, she is: the only 
girl who does not wear them, and I 
know it is because her father is so 
poor. ‘When the teacher told us to be 


CRYSTALS. 31 


sure and wear our mittens she looked 
down so pitifully at her two hands, — 
which are red and swollen, and her 
face looked as though she did not 
mean to go. May she not have one 
pair?” 

‘Certainly, Winnie; only are you 
sure she would like to take them if 
you offered ?” 

“Of course, mamma, I shall not 
give them to heras if it was anything, 
for it isn’t, you know; and so she 
would be happy without knowing 
what made her so.” 

“That's a good thought, Winnie 
dear. Now hang up your hood and 
go and wash your hands, for the clock 
is striking, and I fear the tea-bell will 
ring before you are ready for it.” 

Her mother had. no fear that. Win- 
nie would fail in the bestowal of her 


32. “ORYSTALS, 


gift, or in any other good deed of this 
kind. She seemed to love to do good 
continually, and always in a delicate, 
lovely way which made her a favorite 
everywhere. 

Thirty very happy iris were oe 
ered about the stove in the school-room 
on the day before New Year’s, waiting 
for the sleigh. So many red hoods 
and shawls, such a bundle of furs and 
wrappings, it seemed after you unrolled 
some little girl that she was very 
small compared with her size when 
she was well wrapped up. So spark- 
- ling and bright they were, and so 
restless, moving about among each 
other, laughing and talking, that they 
appeared like a field of gay poppies 
nodding in the wind. Winnie was 
there looking as bright and sparkling 
as the rest, bundled up in a big warm 


 GRYSTALS, 30 


shawl of her mother’s, with the white 
mittens on her hands and the red-and- 
white ones in her pocket. Her friend 
had not yet arrived, so she busied 
herself with two bricks which were on 
the stove heating, moving them here 
and there as she found room, fancying 
that an inch or so nearer the coals 
would make a wonderful difference in 
the warmth. 

When at length Ada came in, they 
were caught away very quickly (much 
to the joy of somebody else who had 
bricks to heat) and wrapped in paper 
and woolen. Taking her warm bundle 
on her arm, she moved in and out 
among the waiting groups until she 
came to the place where her friend 
sat with her hands underneath her 
shawl. 

- “Good-morning, Ada,” she said; 


34 ' ORYSTALS. 


“isn’t this a lovely day for our ride? 
I feel as if I could scarcely wait for 
the sleigh to come.” 

“ Yes, it’s a beautiful day,” replied 
Ada, brightly ; “ but what a grown-up 
girl you are in all those wrappings !” 

“Yes, even down to my mittens,” 
laughed Winnie, in answer, putting 
out her two worsted-covered hands. 
‘You know teacher said we must re- 
member to wear them. Have you a 
pair on?” 

“No,” replied Ada, shortly, drawing 
her hands a little closer beneath her 
shawl. | 

‘Well, now, how nice that is! I’ve 
got tivo pair—these and the red-and- 
white ones in my pocket. It just 
comes handy, don’t it?” she said, 
laughing, and pulling them out she 
threw them into Ada’s lap, exclaiming 


CRYSTALS. 35 


as she did so, “I do believe I hear 
the bells. I must look out of the win- 
dow.” 

It was the bells she had heard, and 
in the confused five minutes which 
followed there was no time for either 
explanation or refusal, but as Ada 
climbed up into the sleigh, Winnie, 
who sat at the end of the step—for it 
was arranged omnibus-fashion—saw, as 
her friend’s hands were stretched out 
to catch at something for a support, 
that they were covered with red-and- 
white mittens. 

There was room enough for one be- 
tween Winnie and her next neighbor, 
so she motioned to her friend to come 
and sit beside her. Ada came directly, 
and whispered in an undertone as she 
sat down: “I ought not to have taken 
the mittens; but they looked so pretty 


36 CRYSTALS. 


and warm that I could not help it. 
It was very kind in you to lend them 
to me.” ) 

‘Not much kindness about it,” re- 
plied Winnie, shaking her curly head. 
“They would not have been of any 
use in my pocket, and they look so 
well where they are.” 

Ada would never know that this 
had all been planned for her comfort, 
and so she enjoyed it the more. 
For Winnie’s part, if she felt at all 
that she had done a kind act, it was 
only with a wish that she had more to 
give where God had given her so 
much. But the little things go toward 
making up the great things. 

This is the way God gives to us. 
Seeing always: something for us to en- 
Joy, he heaps mercies upon us in his 
great bountifulness. 


CRYSTALS. 32 


. It was nothing but pleasure to be 
abroad in the cold, frosty air. Tohear . 
the snow, trodden under the springing 
feet of the horses, crunch with that 
dry, cold. sound which it has on clear 
winter days, and to hear the many 
bells jingle, jingle, jingle, until they 
brought all the dwellers in the houses 
which they passed out at their front 
doors, where they stood smiling, glad 
with the joy of somebody else, hugging 
themselves close with the cold, and 
looking after the sleigh as long as 
they could see it. 

It was something pretty to see the 
ereat sleigh full of bright, joyous 
faces, and the shouts and hurrahs were 
worth hearing. They took special 
delight in putting themselves in an 
uproar when they passed the home of 


any one of their companions, and 
4 


& 


38 CRYSTALS. 


when they came opposite the teacher’s 
house they called to the driver to 
stop, and then shouted until they 
brought their teacher’s old mother to 
the door. She looked out. at them 
through her spectacles and said: _ 
“Bless the children! I wish I had 
some warm doughnuts for them.” 
Then away from the town, out 
among the hills and fields all covered 
over with the same pure, white mantle, 
through woods where the leaves rus- 
tled in myriads of soft voices in the 
summer. The north wind had taken 
up his abode in their tops, and his 
solemn music was all in and out 
among their branches. ‘The ever- 
greens were still, because they bore a 
white burden as well as the earth, and 
the piled-up snow upon the dark green 
branches had so beautiful an effect that 


a 


- 


CRYSTALS. 39 


the trees seemed to know it and stand 
quite still to be admired or to move 
just gracefully enough to call atten- 
tion to their beauty. 

Winnie was in a wonderfully com- 
fortable and happy state of mind 
watching all this, but she feared occa- 
sionally that her companion was not 
so happy. As she turned to her with 
a question or bright remark, she often 
found her friend sober, although she 
always replied smilingly. Winnie 
wondered if she were cold, and strong- 
ly suspecting this to be the case, tried 
to think of something to make her 
more comfortable. Winnie's place, as 
I have said, was at the end of a long 
seat, which ran down the side of the 
sleigh, so that she had the protection of 
the wood at the lower corner. There 
was another seat up and down through 


40 CRYSTALS, 


the middle and a third on the other 
side. 

“Ada,” she said, suddenly, to her 
friend, “I wish you would change 
seats with me!” 

— What for? Are you not sock fot ta- 
ble?” 

“Oh yes, but I would like a change 
if you will be so good as to take my 
seat for a little while.” ‘They changed 
accordingly, and Ada leaned back in 
the corner, sheltering herself effect- 
ually from the wind. | 

“Why what a warm corner!” 
exclaimed. 

“Do you find it comfortable? I’m 
very glad. Now if you will please 
push my bricks over to me with your 
feet, ; will give you yours in the same 
way.” 

_ “Here they are,” replied Ada, roe 


she 


CRYSTALS. 41. 


riedly; “do not look for mine. I 
haven’t any.” — 

‘‘None ?” exclaimed Winnie. ‘Oh 
how cold your feet must be! There! 
do not push them any farther. Put 
your feet on one half; mine are quite 
warm, so I will just touch them.” | 

‘No, no, Winnie,” cried Ada, ‘I 
do not want to take your bricks. Let 
me push them over farther.” 

‘T will not touch my toes to them 
if you do,” replied Winnie, laughing. 
‘See, there is plenty of room;” and 
she pushed aside the robe to show 
her, bidding her put her feet on. She 
did so then, and Winnie let the robe 
fall very quickly. Such thin shoes as 
she had seen! Summer shoes on a 
cold winter day! There were two or 
three big tears in her eyes, and she 


winked and blinked several minutes 
4% 


42, CRYSTALS, 


before they would go away. She was 
very much rejoiced that she had given 
up the corner seat, and she turned 
over and over in her brain some way 
of giving further comfort. 

Ada for her part could not help 
seeing and knowing how much was 
done for her comfort, and she was 
very grateful. Yet she could not 
thank Winnie. All the little acts of 
kindness were performed in a quiet 
way which left no room for thanks. 
She knew when she leaned back in the 
corner and found it so warm that her 
comfort had been the cause of the 
change of seats. Yet the thinking of 
it only added to her happiness, because 
it had been done so’gladly. 

All this time they were skimming 
along through the glorious hill country, 
winding up the steep, smooth roads, 


CRYSTALS, | 43 


the bells and the horses’ feet keeping 
perfect time, and the children’s eyes 
eagerly watching for the top. Once 
there they paused a moment to take in 
as much—or as little as they could in 
so short a time—of the magnificence of 
a broad country covered with freshly 
fallen snow. The farm-houses which 
dotted the country far and wide were 
little brown spots in all this bright- 
ness and purity, and the paths about 
them were as many more brown lines, 

It was near the winter sunsetting, 
and often the smoke from a fresh fire 
was curling out of a farm-house 
chimney, touched as it came by the 
last rays of the sun, and so rolling up 
in a cloud of glory. Once, too, they 
all exclaimed as a sight, far in the val- 
ley, of a blacksmith’s fire flashing 
in the now growing twilight, and the 


44 CRYSTALS. 


bright streams of light thrown out 
from it upon the glistening snow, made 
it seem like an enchanted place. Then 
leaving the hills behind them, they 
would fly down into the valleys, mak- 
ing the woods ring with their shouts 
and laughter. ven the horses seem- 
ed to enter into the spirit of the fun, 
holding up their heads and prancing 
so as to make every separate bell peal 
with a tiny cry of pleasure. 

The daylight was all gone when 
they rode up to the door of the Bald 
Eagle, a good, old-fashioned country 
hotel, where they were to take supper. 
They were expected, for the front win- 
dows all showed bright lights within, 
and while the hostler took charge of 
the horses the landlord came to help 
them out. 

“Why, here is an army of little 


CRYSTALS. 4d 


folks,” said he. ‘I hope you are not 
too hungry.” 

“Oh yes, sir, we are very hungry,” 
said Winnie as he helped her down. 

‘Run into the house, then, and see 

if you can see anything to eat,” he re- 
pled. 
- Winnie had her bundle of bricks 
under her arms, but instead of running 
into the warm parlor where the rest 
were, she went along through the 
dining-room into the kitchen. 

‘Laws! See dis chile!” said one 
of the cooks, pausing in her work, 
Her exclamation drew other eyes 
quickly in her direction. 

‘Honey, what does she want?” 
said an old colored cook, smiling all 
over her face as she approached her. 

‘J want to know whether you will 
please put my bricks on your stove to 


46 CRYSTALS. 


warm while I am at supper, and 
whether you will wrap them up sepa- 
rately when they are hot. 

“With the greatest of pleasure, 
honey,” returned the woman, taking 
her bricks and placing them on the 
red-hot top of the stove. 

Winnie thanked her earnestly, and 
returned as fast as she could to 
the parlor, where the scholars were 
rubbing their hands and stamping 
their feet and exclaiming about the 
cold. So few moments had she been 
away that she had not been missed, 
and.now, joining a group, she was 
merry with the rest. 

I think warm bread and milk, with 
pie and doughnuts, never tasted better 
than they did that night. There were 
bright words, merry laughter, kind 
feeling and good will among them all, 


CRYSTALS. AT 


and hungry as they were they were 
not selfish, and when they gathered 
about the stove again, preparatory to 
their ride home, there were none but 
pleasant faces. When the horses 
were brought out again, Winnie ran 
away for her two bundles, which she 
found nicely wrapped and ready, with 
a paper bag full of warm doughnuts 
laid on top. 

“Oh, who is this for?” she asked 
as she lifted the bag. | 

“Them doughnuts,” returned the 
old cook, ‘is for the pretty-spoken 
young lady who owns them two bricks. 
If you find her out there, send her in 
after them.” | 

Winnie laughed. ‘I think it must 
be me,” she said, ‘for the bricks are 
mine, and you are very kind to think 
so well of me. Good-night to you all.” 


48 CRYSTALS, 


Away she ran again just in time to 
follow the rest out to the big sleigh. 
As she sat down beside Ada she said, 
quietly : 

“ Here is your brick. I have had 
them both heated at the kitchen fire, 
and in this bag are some doughnuts 
the cook gave me. We will eat them 
by and by to warm ourselves.” 

Off they went back again in the bright 
moonlight this time, for while they 
were at supper the moon had climbed 
up out of the east, and was now shin- 
ing full and bright over the snow. It 
was greeted by the children with great 
glee. The return ride, however, was 
not so full of cheers or so boisterous 
as the same journey two hours before. 
They sang now bright school-songs or 
solemn hymns, which rang out on the 
night air, echoing and _ re-echoing 


p. 48 


THE SLEIGH RIDE. 


CRYSTALS. 49 


among the hills. As they dashed 
along they saw eager faces looking out 
at them from the lighted windows of 
some farmer’s dwelling, or a door sud- 
denly opened and a group of people 
crowded about to look after the gay 
riders, whose music continued to sound 
back to them faintly long after the 
sleigh was out of sight. Ada sat back 
in the corner of the sleigh—hers 
again during the ride home—and, with 
Winnie’s mittens on her hands and 
warm bricks at her feet, was comfort- 
able and happy, and her heart swelled 
with gratitude toward her little friend, 
who so quietly, yet so completely, had 
ministered to her comfort. She thought 
of her sick brother at home, whose 
disease had kept him so long from 
pleasure, and she could not help wish- 


ing that he might feel some of Winnie’s 
5 


50 CRYSTALS. 


kindness. And yet it was in such 
quiet ways that it showed itself that 
she knew not half the time when it 
came. 

“What are you thinking about, 
Ada?” her friend demanded suddenly, 
turning to her more silent compan- 
ion. ‘You are comfortable, are you 
not?” | 

“Yes, comfortable and happy. I 
was thinking of your kindness, and 
afterward of my brother Will. You 
know I told you about him.” 

“Yes, I remember. But although 
I know you are thinking how much 
you would like to have him enjoy all 
this, yet I recollect you said he loved 
the Lord Jesus, and I think, if he loves 
him very much, he is quite as happy 
in his pain as you and I ever thought 
of being.” | 


CRYSTALS. 51 


“Yet you are a Christian too, 
Winnie, are you not?” 

‘“‘T try to be a little like my Saviour,” 
she returned, “and he has promised 
to help us when we try, you know.” 

“Yes,” she said’ aloud; but she 
thought in her heart, “ If loving Christ 
will make me as kind and unselfish as 
Winnie, and as patient and loving as 
Willie, I will love him right away 
and beg him to be my guide.” 

The sleigh came rushing and dash- 
ing into the town with the shaking of 
bells, the prancing of hoofs and the 
sound of merry voices. They rode 
around to the different houses, drop- 
ping a girl here, a girl there, two 
sisters at one place and two at another. 
By and by they stopped at a low cot- 
tage, at the one lighted window of 
which a little wan face looked out. 


52 CRYSTALS. 


Good-night, Winnie,” said Ada, grasp- 
ing her friend’s hand, adding low, “I 
will bring the mittens to school on 
Monday morning. You have made 
my ride happy.” . 

“ Good-night, Ada,” was the eager 
reply. ‘The mittens are yours, dear, 
and this bundle of doughnuts is for 
Willie. Tell him I am sorry he could 
not go with us, but I am coming to see 
him to-morrow, with a new story-book 
and some sweet oranges for him to 
enjoy.” 

So the sleigh dashed on, leaving 
happy children behind, as the summer 
flies away and leaves us happy re- 
membrances of sunny days. By and 
by, among the last of the merry com- 
pany, Winnie was put dewn, safe and 
sound, at her own door. 

“Did you have a good time, Winnie 


CRYSTALS. 53 


dear ?” asked her mother, unfastening 
her wrappings. | 

‘Yes, mamma, I had a lovely time.” 

‘‘Tf Winnie has had what she calls 
‘a lovely time,’ she has been doing 
some good,” said her father. 

She stood a few moments gravely 
thinking over his remark, and then 
replied : 

“No, papa, I do not think I ever 
do good. I think it is the spirit of the 
Lord Jesus. You know he never let 
an opportunity pass where he could 
do good, and so his spirit working in 
me makes me do all these things. Say 
the next time, ‘I think the Lord Jesus 
has been “ going about” with Winnie 
to-day.’ ” 

So this little girl went to sleep 
thinking of her own failings and 
Christ’s great love. And Ada, looking 


5 


54 CRYSTALS. 


over her day’s pleasure, said her even= 
ing prayer with a feeling of deeper 
love toward the Master whose servant 
Winnie was, while her little suffering 
brother, with the bag of doughnuts 
and a promise of a new book and 
sweet oranges, thought: “It must bea 
child of Jesus who will do all this for 
me.” 

Little things, you say! Oh, the 
world is full of little things. When 
our Lord spake in parables, it was not 
always, nor often, of kings and nobles. 
but of a lost sheep, a little leaven, the 
birds of the air, the flowers of the 
field, a woman with a lost piece of 
money, a grain of mustard-seed. Small 
things! It is the little children that 
enter the kingdom. It was he who 
made his disciple to say: ‘‘ Behold how 
great a matter a little fire kindleth!” ; 


CRYSTALS. 55 


Oh, then, if our blessed Master will 
but use us to serve him in little things, 
let us count it great honor, for it is 
following in his steps! 


ng are mht 7 


ee ‘Oh f an aa 


lei Bae 


a “a uta oh OE, 


EET. 


In Chervthing Gike Thanks. 


57 


LEY: 


IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS. 


IMMY was very disconsolate as 

h) he sat on the low wooden door- 

step of his home. His two elbows 

were resting on his two knees and his 

head was in his two hands, while his 

eyes never raised themselves from their 

steady gaze upon a little cracked flag 
in the pavement before him. 

“TJ wonder,” he said to ‘himself, 
‘what mother finds to thank God for? 
I had only a crust for breakfast this 
morning, and yet she said, ‘Let us 
thank God, Jimmy.’ I tried to, but I 


couldn’t, and now I am hungry and 
59 


60 CRYSTALS. 


cold, and it would be wicked to say — 
what I do not feel.” | 
Just then a voice called him from ~ 
within, and jumping up hastily, he — 
ran into a dark, dismal room from | 
which the door opened upon the steps 
on which he had been seated. His 
mother sat in a chair, hovering over a 
few coals, which she now and then 
stirred in order to procure warmth 
from them, whilst a ragged shawl 
drawn closely about her shoulders 
showed that the heat was insufficient 
to keep out the cold air. It was she 
who had called her son, and as he 
came up she drew aside a blanket 
which lay upon her lap, and he saw his 
baby-brother lying there unconscious 
of want and cold, sound asleep. 
“Jimmy, you must be father and 
brother both to little brother now that 


CRYSTALS. 61 


papa is in heaven,” said the mother, 
softly, “and so I must send you out a 
little while to beg some food for us. I 
do not like you to go into the wicked, 
noisy streets, and I do not like to have 
you beg, but there is no other way ; so 
before you go kneel down here by my 
side, and let me ask God to take care 
of my son and keep him from doing 
wrong.” 

So Jimmy knelt, and his mother 
prayed that he might be delivered 
from evil and be helped in seeking 
food for them. ‘“O God!” she said, 
“T thank thee for making Jimmy a 
dutiful son, and may he and I always 
thank thee for everything.” 

“Mamma,” said Jimmy, rising as 
she finished and standing beside her, 
“TJ cannot thank God. I have lost my 


father, Iam cold at night and have 
6 


62 CRYSTALS, 


nothing to eat. I have nothing to 
thank God for.” 

“Oh, Jimmy,” answered his mother, 
“if it were not for God’s care, we 
should be in the streets now with no 
roof to cover us. He is raising up 
kind friends for us somewhere. ‘Trust 
him, and wherever you are to-day re- 
member him and thank him for his 
goodness.” 

But the boy’s face was unhappy and 
anxious, and he left the room with the 
tears standing in his blue eyes, partly 
at his own misery and partly on ac- 
count of a heavy sigh from his mother, 
which he knew showed her to be very 
sorrowful. So he felt farther than 
ever from thanksgiving, and walked 
away into the busy street without 
hope. | 

The morning was very dismal. He 


CRYSTALS. 63 


tried to beg at the gates of fine houses, 
but it seemed to him that he was more 
denied than usual, and when the great 
town-clock struck twelve, he had so 
very little in the bottom of his basket 
that he felt ashamed to go home with 
it. When he thought of his waiting 
mother, the big sobs came up in his 
throat and almost choked him. He 
crept into the shadows of the great 
church and listened to the striking of 
the bell. It seemed always saying: “ It 
is noon! Thank God!” “It is noon! 
Thank God!” He followed the slow- 
dropping words until the bell stopped, 
and then, with their echo still in his 
mind, stepped out again among the 
throng. 

How tired and hungry he was! How 
his toes, peeping through thin shoes, 
ached until they were numb with cold! 


64 CRYSTALS, 


How the fingers held themselves 
tightly clenched, one against the other, 
to keep the cold air away! How 
good the dinners smelt everywhere! 
How the men who passed him went 
hurriedly on to other dinners waiting 
for them somewhere! Even a poor 
little newsboy had laid down his papers 
on a corner step, and was opening a 
nice bundle of bread and cheese, which 
showed marks of a careful mother’s 
hand. Everywhere they were content 
and well fed. All had something for 
which they might be thankful but 
this one little Jim, who was to be the 
support of mother and baby-brother. 
He felt for one moment as grown-up 
people feel when it seems as if all the 
world and God too had forsaken 
them. 

God never does forsake his children, 


-ORYSTALS, 65 


Just then the merciful guidance, which 
seems far away, came close to him. 
‘God never wounds with both hands.” 
A little match-seller, one of Jim’s 
playmates, stepped directly in front 
of him, witha face full of good-humor - 
and heartiness. 

“ How are you, old tie Where 
have you been all day ?” he asked. 

It was no use. ‘The bad feelings 
struggling in Jim’s heart could not 
find utterance to this sunny-faced boy. 

‘“‘T’ve been trying to get something 
to eat,” he replied, with an effort to 
choke down the feelings which started 
tears in his eyes, and uncovering 
his almost empty basket for the in- 
spection of his companion. 

‘It’s a mean shame!” said the boy, 
his heart touched, but unwilling to 


show it. ‘ Rich folks don’t know how 
6 * 


66 CRYSTALS. 


poor ones have to suffer. I’ve an apple 
here which the old woman who keeps 
stand at the corner gave me. Come 
and sit down on the step in the sun 
and eat it.” 

So the two boys sat down on the 
lowest step of a flight made of pure 
marble, which ascended to the door of 
one who would never feel hunger he 
could not satisfy, and never know what 
it was to have his dear ones cold at 
home. Jim took the apple because 
he was so hungry and he knew his 
friend was not. He ate it, and his 
friend sat by watching, knitting his 
brows now and then, and poking vig- 
orously at the bricks in front of him 
with a small stick he carried. 

_ “How is your mother?” he asked, 
suddenly turning upon his friend who 
sat munching his apple. 


CRYSTALS. 67 


_ “She is cold,” replied Jim, stopping 
his eating, and a look of distress com- - 
ing into his face again. | 

‘Of course she is,” returned the 
other, vexed with himself for having 
asked the question, ‘‘ everybody is to- 
day, so goon eating your apple. Your 
mother will have a good fire soon.” 
He looked more puzzled than ever 
after this remark, as if he were trying 
to find out where the fire was coming 
from. He walked about uneasily until 
Jim had eaten up his apple, core and 
all. 

“The baby is well?” he asked, sud- 
denly stopping his walk. 
“The baby is well, but it won’t be 
so long,’ returned Jim. ‘ Mother 
says I am the support of the family, 
put if this keeps on long they won’t 
want any support—they’ll be dead.” 


68 CRYSTALS. 


The despair was getting the upper 
hand again, and his friend, in perplex- 
ity, sat down beside him and said not 
a word for full five minutes. At the 
end of that time he sprang to his feet 
and gazed first at the door-bell of the 
house upon the steps of which they 
were sitting, and then all up and down 
the front. At the lower windows the 
shutters were thrown open and the 
heavily-parted curtains showed a gen- 
tleman seated in the recess reading 
very diligently. The stick came down 
on the pavement very energetically, 
and he ran back to Jim. 

‘Old fellow, we must be going soon,” 
he said, “if we are to make our for- 
tunes before we grow up. Why, won't 
you sing something to warm yourself 
by? It will be as good as a fire to 
both you and me.” ! 


CRYSTALS, 69 


Jim hesitated. He felt very little 
like singing just then, though singing 
was his delight. People don’t sing when 
they are miserable, however much the 
books may say they do. But he 
thought of the apple and the good 
cheer his friend had tried to impart, 
so he could not refuse. Then what 
should he sing? He had a store of 
street songs, caught up here and there 
and everywhere, and consequently a 
very curious mixture of nonsense and 
pathos. Then he had a wonderful 
store of hymns, sung to him when 
the mother’s heart had stilled itself 
with the words she uttered. His 
choice lay between these two classes, 
and something inside said: “Sing a 
jolly song. It will make you feel bet- 
ter.’ Suddenly then his mother’s 
voice in the morning, and the old 


70 CRYSTALS. 


clock’s noon chiming, came back to his 
mind, and without stopping he com- 
menced to sing an old hymn, trite with 
long utterance, but framed about to 
all loving minds with a bower of clus- 
tered blessings, half-open buds of 
promise, and full-blown roses of ful- 
filled desires: 


“T thank the goodness and the grace 
That on my birth has smiled, 
And made me in these latter days 

A happy Christian child.” 


A clear, rich voice it was that gave 
the solemn words their full force, and 
a tone caught from the one who taught 
him them. His friend listened with 
his face half turned toward the house. 
When the first verse was finished, he 
said quickly: “That is good. Go on.” 
Jim hesitated a moment and then 
commenced again: 


CRYSTALS. 71 


“ T was not born, as thousands are, 
Where God is never known, 
And taught to pray a useless prayer 
To blocks of wood and stone.” 

He had not gone far in the verse 
when the lower window of the house 
was raised a little, the gentleman’s 
book laid down and his ear applied to 
the crack. 

“Goon,” said his friend, excitedly, 
with a side glance at the window, as 
Jim stopped a second time. ‘ More 
of the same sort.” So Jim, not recall- 
ing more of the hymn, took up another, 
and sang: 

“ Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
Praise him, all creatures here below; 


Praise him above, angelic host ; 
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” 


No one sings this without enter- 
ing into the spirit of it before he 1s 
through—or so it seems to me—and 


3 


> 


72 CRYSTALS. 


Jim, forgetting street and people, 
hunger and cold and sorrow, poured 
his soul into the music and the utter- 
ance, until his voice rose rich and 
powerful in its freedom and strength. 

Before he had finished, the door had 
opened behind him and his friend had 
sprung up and taken off his hat, with 
a low exclamation of satisfaction, and 
was bowing to the gentleman who 
stood in the doorway. Jim was sing- 
ing without looking up,so he continued, 
and the gentleman put his finger on 
his lip, signing to the other pleased 
listener that he must not interrupt 
him. So when he at length finished 
his song and raised his eyes he found 
that he had an audience. 

‘Come into the house, both of you,” 
said the gentleman, smiling at the 
boy’s astonished face. “I want you 


CRYSTALS. 13 


to sing for me here inside, away from 
the noise.” 

“Come on, Jim,” said his friend, 
with pleased eyes, as he mounted 
quickly in advance the long flight of 
steps, Jim following in a maze. They 
were led into the room the gentleman 
had quitted, soft, elegant, luxurious 
and warm—oh, so warm to the cold 
hands and feet! The gentleman cross- 
ed it quickly, and opening a piano at 
the farther end called the boy to him. 

“Now,” he said to Jim, “I called 
you in because I want to hear you 
sing. Will you sing for me again ?” 

“Yes, sir, certainly,” said Jim, turn- 
ing his cap over and over in his con- 
fusion, ‘‘ but I am no singer.” 

“Very well,” said the gentleman, 
smiling again. “And your friend, 
what part does he take ?” 

7 


b] 


74 CRYSTALS. 


“T generally clap and stamp and 
say ‘good boy,’”’ replied the boy with 
the round face and happy eyes. 

The gentleman laughed very much, 
and saying that he had a good part, 
turned to the piano and struck a few 
chords. 

“Tell me a little hymn that you 
can sing?” he asked of Jim, running 
over the keys with his fingers. Jim 
could scarcely lift his eyes from the 
white, swift-moving hands to tell him, 
but when he had done so he stood 
spell-bound, as, touching white and 
black here and there, the air he had 
named came softly and sweetly sound- 
ing out upon the silence. ‘ Now sing,” 
he said, as the notes died away and he 
struck the opening cord anew. Jim 
caught his suspended breath and sung. 
Two, three, four hymns he sung, one 


CRYSTALS. 75 


after the other, accompanying the sweet 
instrument, while his friend, sitting 
stiffly in a gorgeous chair by the fire, 
although he neither clapped nor said 
“good boy,” showed by the increased 
good humor and cheeriness of his 
laughing face how satisfied he was 
with Jim’s performance. Finally the 
gentleman turned round and examined 
the singer. 

“You are a poor boy, I see,” he 
said. 

“Tam so poor that I have to beg, 
sir,” answered Jim. 

‘“ Poor and a beggar boy,” repeated 
the gentleman; ‘and you wonder 
sometimes what God made you for, if 
you were to be miserable all your life. 
When God made you, Jim, he may 
not have given you riches, but he gave 
you one gift—a glorious voice—and 


76 CRYSTALS. 


that is something to be thankful for 
every day. I am training a class of 
boys to sing sweet Christian hymns. 
Come and sing with them, and we will 
go about telling all men, through our 
song-words, what Christ has done for 
men. I will have a new suit of clothes 
ready for you when you come to me, 
and two bright new dollars every week. 
Here is one to commence with ;” and 
he held out a tiny gold piece. 

The boy clutched it and folded both 
his hands tightly upon it. ‘Oh, 
Neddy,” he said, “think of mother 
and the baby!” and for the first time 
he broke down utterly and sobbed. 

‘What about mother and _ the 
baby ?” asked the astonished musician. 

“Mother and baby are cold and 
hungry,” cried the boy, “but this is 
food and fire. I must go, sir, to 


CRYSTALS. Te 


warm and feed them, for I am their 
only dependence, and I have thought 
to-day that they would die depending 
on my aid.” 

“Good boy! Good boy!’ cried 
Neddy, clapping this time and laugh- 
ing, with the tears in both his eyes. 

“Tl go with you,” said the musi- 
cian. So the three set off, not straight 
to the little cottage. They turned 
aside for wood and bread and tea and 
meat, but the gold piece was not bro- 
ken. Not out of Jim’s mite came the 
payment, but from a well-filled purse, 
whose owner’s heart was full. They 
came there at last, and Jimmy, rush- 
ing in, threw down all his bundles 
and flinging himself into his mother’s 
arms, cried to her: 

‘Mother, let us thank God always 


and for everything! For these good 
" * 


78 CRYSTALS, 


things, for my gold dollar, for music, 
for this kind friend, for Neddy, and, 
above all, for His watchful care who 
sends them all.” 

The mother prayed a few broken 
words of thanks, because her heart 
was full, but God filled up the spaces, 
and took the prayer as from hearts 
full of his praise. And the two tears, 
which had been standing in Neddy’s 
eyes, dropped when he said “‘ Amen.” 


eye. 


God 18 his oon Interpreter, 


79 


10) ie Ve i ') (a, | 
Marae a STAs 
ry u Ni 2 


; ia 


wo ey 
ee a Cae 
P a A x bent ‘ 


* 
mindy 


\ aA f 
(alae 
Drie pt 


Ve 


GOD IS HIS OWN INTERPRETER. 


CP, UBERT DOYLE threw his 
J palette and brush down beside 

his canvas and knelt by his 
mother’s chair, with his head resting 
on her shoulder, and a face full of 
disappointment and trouble. His 
mother’s anxious hand passed over 
his shining hair backward and for- 
ward, as if she longed to do something 
to take his trial away. 

“Hubert dear, if I could only help 
you, I should not need to say how 
gladly I would do so,” she said, sooth- 
ingly. | 
“Oh yes, mother,” replied the lad, 


81 


82 CRYSTALS. 


hopelessly; ‘it is only money I want, 
and neither you nor I have any of 
that.” Then leaving his place, he 
stepped out in front of the half-finish- 
ed picture. It was very brilliant in 
color. There was a grouping of full- 
length figures in gorgeous robes of 
purple and scarlet, a spacious hall 
with half-finished draperies of crimson 
about the walls and steps, and a car- 
peted platform ascending to a chair of 
state, also unfinished. It was some- 
thing very grand and gorgeous, in 
Hubert’s eyes particularly—more so 
perhaps in his eyes than in those of 
any one else. 

“There it is, mother,” he said, 
trembling all over in the very intens- 
ity of his sorrow, “and there it will 
remain and never be placed on exhi- 
bition at the academy, as I so hoped 


CRYSTALS. 83 


and intended it should be. All I lack 
is the crimson and the scarlet, and 
these I cannot buy. I have quantities 
of greens and browns, but they will 
not answer for these draperies. Oh, 
mother, think that for the want of a 
little money my picture must remain 
unfinished and my work perish !” 

“T hope not, Hubert,” replied his 
sympathizing mother, drawing him 
- down to his old position by her side. 
“If every great man had given up his 
life-work at the first discouragement, 
there would have been very little prog- 
ress made in this world. Keep your 
courage up. I trust there will be 
some money to help you some day, 
and perhaps you may sell a picture ; 
who knows? Besides,” she added in 
a lower tone, “you must trust God. 
If he has given you this work to do, 


84 CRYSTALS. 


he will see that you are successful. 
When you are tried, remember the 
words of that grand old hymn: 


‘God is his own interpreter, 
And he will make it plain,” 


She stopped a moment, and hearing 
no reply, asked: ‘“‘ What did Profess- 
or Paul say to your painting the other 
day when he called to see it?” 

“ He did not say much, mother. He 
seldom does. Suggested soberer col- 
oring or something, but you know it 
was not finished. How could he or 
any one else know what it was going 
to look like ?” 

His mother said no more, but sat 
for some minutes looking from the 
painting to her son’s woe-begone face. 
Then sadly and with a heavy sigh she 
rose slowly and left the painting- 
room. 


CRYSTALS. 85 


Hubert, impatient under the chains 
poverty had thrown around him, 
walked backward and forward between 
his easel and the window, looking 
neither at the one nor out of the other, 
but striving to bear his burden and to 
pluck up fresh courage. Presently, 
feeling as if the closeness of the house 
were stifling him, he’ seized his hat 
and ran down the stairs and out into 
the street. His mother heard him go, 
and sighed anew. 

He hardly knew where he went or 
whether he had any object, unless it 
were to leave sights and sounds, people 
and noises, behind him, and reach 
some place where he could be alone. 
So it was that he found himself at last 
on the top of a breezy hill which over- 
looked the glorious country. He sat 


down under a tree, and without look- 
8 


86 '  GRYSTALS. 


ing about him, buried his face in his 
hands and tried to think. It was 
rather a vain effort, but he did not 
change his position for a long time, 
not until he was roused by a peal of 
thunder very near him, and looking 
up, found black clouds over his head 
out of which the rain was commencing 
to pour in torrents and from which 
the lightnings were flashing and the 
thunder rolling. 

He sprang to his feet and took ref- 
uge in a rude lumberman’s shed, 
close at hand, where he had the pleas- 
ure of sitting for half an hour, watch- 
ing the trees bend with the violence of 
the storm and the water drip, drip, 
drip, from the doorway of his shelter. 
If he had cared for anything, he would 
have been impatient and irritable, but 
he had allowed himself to sink into 


CRYSTALS. 87 


such a state of hopeless indifference 
that he watched the rain-drops as if 
there were nothing else in the wide 
world for him to do. He did not 
even perceive that the rain had ceased, 
until the sun, striking through the 
trees into the doorway, told him that 
‘the storm had passed away. 

He stepped out quickly to the top 
of the hill where he had been before, 
and then his artist-eyes were caught 
and held by a picture of rare beauty. 
Down in the valley beneath him stood 
a little brown farm-house, with out- 
buildings picturesquely grouped about 
it, and a fine old orchard of apple and 
cherry trees close at hand. Out of the 
chimney of the house the smoke was 
curling slowly, and about the doorway 
were grouped four or five children, 
whose voices just reached his ear. 


88 CRYSTALS. 


Close about the house lay meadows 
green and fresh and smooth, and by a 
laughing brook in one of these stood 
two cows waiting patiently to be driven 
homeward. But the beauty of it all 
was the effect of the shower. The old 
house looked brightened and cleansed, 
the children’s voices had a clearer 
ring, every single grass blade seemed 
astir with new life and greenness, and 
the buttercups were lifting their gold- 
en heads, as if they were ready to show 
their gratitude for being thus freshen- 
ed and purified. The old cows were 
snuffing the cooling air and lowing 
contentedly, and the waters of the 
brook dashed along with a song of re- 
joicing and a dance of merriment 
which it was good to hear. Hach and 
all of these—house, curling smoke, 
children, meadows, cows and brook— 


CRYSTALS. 89 


were touched by the sun, now near its 
setting, and glorified by it, while in 
the east was a faint rainbow, lost in 
the centre of the arch, but one side 
meeting the horizon with its mellow 
tints. 

Hubert, standing where the fresh 
breeze swept his face and blew away 
the sadness gathered there, brought 
his hands together with an exclamation 
of delight. 

“T never saw anything so fresh and 
beautiful in all my life,” he said aloud. 
“Tve plenty of greens and browns. 
TP’l1 go home and paint it!’ 

Down the hill he rushed, with the 
vision still in his mind, through the 
high road to the town, and from thence 
with eager feet to his own home. 
Springing up the stair-case to his 
little painting-room, he drew his 

8 


90 CRYSTALS. 


famous painting from the easel, and 
without giving himself a moment’s 
time for further regret, placed a new 
canvas where it had been, and drawing 
aside the curtains to let all the re- 
maining daylight in, he commenced 
sketching rapidly. 

His mother heard his step on the 
stair, and finding it as rapid as ever— 
even more so than when he went out— 
feared to enter the studio lest she 
should find her boy hopeless and 
desponding. By and by, however, 
when the toast was hot and the tea 
steeped, she timidly opened the door, 
to find him absorbed before a fresh 
canvas and painting by the last gleam 
of daylight. 

‘Why, Hubert, my son,” she ex- 
claimed, surprised to find him eager 
and excited, ‘‘ what are you doing?” . 


CRYSTALS. 91 


‘Tm painting, mother,” he replied, 
turning toward her with a face filled 
with the enthusiasm and delight of 
his work. ‘ But I have used up all the 
daylight, so I’m ready for supper; but 
to-morrow morning early Ill start 
again.” 

“What are you painting?” asked 
the pleased mother. 

“Why, mother,” he replied, stop- 
ping to laugh, “I don’t know what it 
is unless it is rain. I’ve greens and 
browns, and that is all that is required, 
except a tiny spot of scarlet for the 
child’s dress, and I can manage that.” 

He had not the faintest idea how 
unintelligible his reply was, but his 
mother did not care very much so 
long as he was happy, and she led him 
out to supper with a load lifted from 
her heart. 


92 CRYSTALS. 


_ It never fell again. If ever there 
was a happy heart, it was Hubert’s 
during those weeks before the exhibi- 
tion. With the scene ever in his_ 
mind he went on painting, and, as the 
colors took their places on the canvas, 
he seemed to stand again upon the 
hill-top and to feel the freshness all 
about him. His zeal never abated, 
not fora moment. He worked dili- 
gently and untiringly, and his mother 
would say, when she felt warm and 
tired, that the sight of the fresh grass 
and the rainy look about the picture 
would seem to clear the air all around 
her. In her heart of hearts she liked 
the picture much better than the gor- 
geous affair with its face against the 
wall, although she never said as much 
to Hubert. He wanted to call in Pro- 
fessor Paul to see the new painting, 


CRYSTALS. 93 


but his mother said wait until it was 
finished. | 

When, at last, in time for the exhi- 
bition, it was done, Hubert went after 
Professor Paul to come and see his 
picture packed away in its traveling 
dress; but the professor had gone 
himself with some of his own work to 
the great city where the exhibition was 
to be held, and hence his judgment 
could not be obtained. 

For three whole days Hubert waited 
in anxious suspense for some word 
from the critics of the exhibition, to 
whom he had submitted his work. 
Sometimes he would turn his large 
painting around and look at it a while 
to teach himself to expect disappoint- 
ment, and again, going out of the 
house, he would climb to the breezy 
hill-top, which never looked again as 


94 CRYSTALS. 


it had done on that one afternoon, and 
there sit hour after hour. 

Finally there came a note. How 
Hubert’s hand trembled when he broke 
the seal! It was very short, but long 
enough even for the young artist: 


Hvupert Dore: 

Your picture entitled “Rain in 
Summer” is received by the Commit- 
tee and approved. It will be hung at 
the coming exhibition. Enclosed please 
find a season ticket for the same. 

Yours, &c., | 
*  * & for the Committee. 


How Hubert’s mother managed to 
procure the money with which she and 
her boy set off to the exhibition was 
best known to herself. Sufficient that 
she did it, and never was lad happier 
than Hubert when he ran up the mar- 


CRYSTALS. 95 


ble steps of the building where the 
exhibition was being held. 

“The finest paintings are in the 
right-hand gallery, sir,” said the usher. 

“Ah, mother, don’t go there,” cried 
Hubert, nervous and trembling, seiz- 
ing her hand; ‘it will be here at the 
left hand.” | 

So they turned that way, and in vain 
did their eyes search every nook and 
corner of the gallery for the rain pic- 
ture. It was not there. The rooms 
were crowded with spectators, and the 
mother and son forced themselves in 
and out among them in a way which 
might have been noticed, but that the 
object which brought the people there 
took their eyes away from everything 
but the paintings. 

Finally they passed from the left- 
hand gallery and turned toward the 


96 CRYSTALS. 


other one. A cry of unselfish pleasure 
burst from Hubert’s lips as he beheld 
the beautiful works of art gathered 
from all sources and hanging one 
above another all about the room. 

Around a large historical painting 
stood three or four gentlemen discuss- 
ing its merits and demerits, and Hubert 
paused to listen. But just then they 
moved aside a little, and one of the 
party spoke with sudden surprise and 
pleasure. | 

“Look!” he cried. “Look! I 
should know what that was without a 
name. How fresh the air is! I can 
smell the rain! Was ever anything 
so true to life?” 

Hubert gave one look, but it was 
enough. Side by side with the histor- 
ical picture, the work of one of the 
first artists of the day, hung “ Rain in 


CRYSTALS. 97 


Summer.” Pale and trembling, the 
boy seized his mother’s hand and sank 
into aseat. The gentlemen were still 
lingering round the picture, but Hu- 
bert lost, although his mother did not, 
the numerous remarks of admiration 
and praise bestowed upon it by the 
group. The color came back very 
slowly into the boy’s face, and, before 
he had fairly recovered, a hand was on 
his shoulder and a voice said: 

‘Hubert, my friend, you did not 
show ‘Rain in Summer’ when you 
showed scarlet and crimson to me. 
This is one great picture that you have 
made, and although so little in size, it 
has been sold for the big price of two 
hundred dollars.” 

“Oh, Professor Paul, it can’t be 
true!” cried the boy, turning his star- 


tled face toward his friend. 
9 


98 CRYSTALS. 


“But it is true. I just have one 
quiet talk about you with the gen- 
tleman who buys him. I wish you 
joy, madam,” he added, giving his 
hand to the mother, whose face at that 
moment was worth seeing. 

That night when Hubert came to 
his mother for his usual good-night 
word with her, he looked up into her 
face, and with eyes filled with happy 
tears, said: ‘ Mother I have learned 
a lesson. I will always trust to heaven- 
ly guidance: | 


‘God is his own interpreter 
And he will make it plain.” 


Vv. 


Cireumgtances alter Cases. 


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CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER CASES. 


THE BABY. 
HE children were Charlie and Jenny and 
y Grace, 
And a dear litile baby with dimpled pink 
face, 


That hadn’t a name; 
’Twas a sin and a shame, 
But no one was to blame. 
The babe had its cradle, its rattle, its cup, 
Every name had been thought of, talked of, given up, 
From Eve up to Maud 
(The latest abroad); 
But some were too long, and some were too short, 
Some were pretty enough, but somehow they thought— 
Papa and mamma, Charlie, Gracie and Jenny— 
That they didn’t quite fit. Then of aunts there were 
many, 
Who hearing a new child had come to the Blisses, 
Sent on some sweet dresses, a great many kisses, 
y* 101 


102 CRYSTALS. 


A few pretty toys, 
And some names (they were boys’), 
Forgetful that half of the children are misses. 


At the first break of dawning, 

One cold winter’s morning, 

Charlie woke, not by bits 

As some children do, 

Half his eyes, half his wits: 

Charlie woke through and through. 

For him sleep was over, 

He threw off the cover, 

Gaye the pillow a fling, 

He was Charlie—a king! . 
He threw up the window, he pushed with boy’s might, 
And tossed back the blind, then screamed with delight: 
“Wake, Gracie! Wake, Jenny! The world is all white! 
’Tis white all above, ’tis white all below! 
Tis snow on the ground, and the sky is all snow!” 
It was snowing, would snow, had snowed in all tenses, 
It had covered the trees, the houses, the fences, 

The old leaning posts 

Were shrouded like ghosts 
The trees looked as if they had gone out to dine; 
They were dressed up in white and prinked out so fine, 
Their diamonds were hung all over their arms, 
They were weighed down with bracelets and hung round 

with charms, 


ORYSTALS. 103 


And even the fences, moss-covered by time, 
Transformed, were poetic and made into rhyme, 

And the elm before 

The old barn door 

For its coronal wore 

An immense Koh-i-noor. 

As the clouds broke away, 

With the growing of day, 
- The sun, lazily rising, leaned down on its way, 
And spread a rich carpet, all shimmer and blaze. 

The snow was all level, 

Except for the revel 

Of a dear little rabbit, 

Who, according to habit, 

As he went to and fro, 

Had left in the snow 

Two small tiny dots, 

The proof that his thoughts 

Were with children who fling 

The half-eaten thing, 

Be it apple or sweetmeat, 

Right down at his neat feet. 


Gracie waked up and rushed to the window’s recess, 

Then called out to Jenny, who was trying to dress : 

“Come, Jenny, come quickly! don’t wait for your 
tire, 

The tops of the trees are all glowing with fire! 


104 CRYSTALS. 


And the mountains are white, with a delicate blush, 
And the brook is asleep—’ Here the mother cried 
“ Hush ! 
Not so loud, Gracie dear ;” 
For well she might fear 
That the baby would hear, 
And wake up too soon her attention to claim— 
This dear little baby who hadn’t a name. 
When breakfast was over papa stood and mused 
In a dream-like way, to him all unused ; 
‘Then he spoke to mamma. Charlie listened amd heard. 
Papa spoke very low, Charlie lost not a word. 


If the little bee know 

In a straight line to go 

To make its road short, 

Of course Charlie ought! 

He ran to his sisters, 

Threw out a few whispers, 

And each little girl 

Flung herself with a whirl 

Into curves of delight, 

Clapping hands with her might. 
Papa had said: “I'll order the sleigh, 
And give all the children a drive to-day.” 


Such a looking for caps! 
Such a hunting of wraps!, 


CRYSTALS. 105 


Such a finding of shoes 

That were just fit to use 

On a very cold day 

When you go out to sleigh! 
And when the sleigh came up to the door 
Was never so merry a group before! 


First Jenny and Grace 
Were put into place, 
All wrapped in gray robes, 
Like ugly adobes ; 
Then in went mamma, 
And then good papa 
Put down on her knees 
A bundle, perhaps, 
Or a roll, if you please, 
Of ribbons and caps 
And blankets and shawl; 
And yet ’twas not all 
Or bundle or roll, 
For out of it stole 
A little pink face 
Between rows of lace, 
Which belonged to no other 
‘Than dear little baby, 
Who didn’t quite smother 
(A wonder, it may be). 
Papa got in and took hold of the reins, 
And Charlie was told to spare no pains 


106 CRYSTALS. 


To wind them all in 

With the buffalo skin, 
Then to creep in himself at any spare place, 
And to make himself small to economize space. 


Off started the horses right into the snow ; 
Off started the bells, ringing row upon row; 
Off started the baby with baby-like crow! 

Down dale and up hill 

They went at the will 

Of papa’s guiding hand 

And his tone of command. 

The town left behind, 

The country they find 

Less smooth to behold, 

More bitingly cold. 


Away out on the hills, where grows the sweet heather, 
The wind and the snow had waltzed round together ; 
They had raised a commotion 
Like the billows of ocean ; 
Tt was plunge in and out, 
And the sleigh jumped about, 
Now thumping, 
Now bumping, 
Now jouncing, 
Now bouncing, 
Now plunging, 
Now lunging, 


CRYSTALS. 107 


Now verging, 
Now surging, 
Now creeping, 
Now leaping, 
A tip, a recover, 
Then over and over ! 
‘First Charlie went out, 
Heels over his head: 
He floundered about 
In a soft snowy bed; 
Next a motley array 
Of limbs somewhat mixed, 
With shawls, bonnets and hats 
And several hot bricks. 
Then up jumped five persons, and each gave a throw 
To legs and to arms and to wrappings of snow ; 
Each tested two ankles, each felt of two wrists— 
No breakage, no straining, no bruises, no twists ! 
Papa and mamma, Charlie, Jenny and Grace, 
All stood up unharmed, all white in the face. 


But where was the baby? Which way did she go? 
In a curve parabolic, all scientists know } 
But mamma, with her quivering motherly nerves, 
Didn’t think of the laws of natural curves. 

They looked into the sleigh, 

Then they looked every way ; 
And here was a blanket, all edged round with blue, 
And next was a sock and a dear little shoe. 


108 CRYSTALS. 


Charlie said, with a laugh, 
’Twas baby’s “ autograph” 
(Gracie said “ epitaph”). 
They followed the shoe, 
As hunters would do, 
And next was the coral, with bib lying near, 
And next was the baby herself, little dear! 
In a soft drift of snow 
Lay the baby full low; 
Its wrappings were thrust 
*Neath the snow’s foamy crust, 
But its dear little head 
Peeped out of its bed, 
And its bright little eyes 
Looked round with surprise, 
And its cheeks all aglow 
Gave a tint to the snow. 


They shouted all round 
When the baby they found ; 
They called her a pet, 
A darling, a dear ! 
She did not appear 
To know what it all meant! 
The dear child was content 
With the downy repose 
She found in the snow’s 
Soft feathery lap. 

Flakes lay on the lace 


10 


CRYSTALS. 109 


Of her delicate cap, 
And seemed put to trace 
A half-expressed line, 
One could scarcely divine 
Were it nature or art 
In which it took part. 
All sound and all safe, 
A heavenly waif, 
She lay in the snows, 
A sweet flower that graced 
Earth’s desolate waste, 
And they named her—Rosr! 
MariA MITCHELL. 


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ONE IS NOT SO SOON HEALED AS HURT. 


N every school, either of boys or 
girls, there is a head—that is, one 
scholar who leads in everything— 

and the general tone of the school de- 
pends much upon that one. When 
this leader, who, although not always 
the most studious one, is the brightest 
and quickest, sets an example by word 
or deed of honesty, respect or obedience, 
the rest follow on in the same way-— 
some from a desire to please one who 
is so popular, and others because the 
right thus shown has charms for 


them. When in another class the 
10 * 113 


114 CRYSTALS. 


leader is lawless, an influence just as 
strong for the wrong will be exerted. 
Not directly, but with an undertone of 
ridicule and disrespect and a love of 
ruling power, he or she leads on to 
evil, and has many followers. 

Of this latter class was Augusta 
Cleveland. She was not a bad girl, 
very seldom failed in her tasks or 
offended her teacher, but she was a 
favorite with her fellow-pupils, and 
she knew it and made the most of it. 
If she patronized a play or game at 
recess, it was immediately popular, and 
if her denouncing hand fell upon any 
new scholar, she might as soon attempt 
to scale Mont Blane as to seek to 
overcome the barriers raised against 
her. | 

Had our little heroine, Mollie Mount, 
known of this before, I think she 


CRYSTALS. 11d 


could not have raised sufficient cour- 
age to enter the school. She was as 
bright and quick as Augusta, but 
then she was timid and she did not 
dress well; and oh, girls, that is the 
measure by which you judge one 
another sometimes, and it is such a 
cruel judgment! 

When she entered the room that 
first morning, holding the hand of one 
of the under-teachers, the girls, as was 
their usual custom, looked toward 
Augusta to see how she would receive 
the new-comer, and she, knowing that 
they waited for her judgment, eyed 
Mollie from head to foot, and then 
turning to her next neighbor with a 
mocking smile, which all the girls saw 
and understood, said: “I wonder if 
that dress was her mother’s or her 
grandmother's ?” 


116 CRYSTALS. 


That was all, but it was enough, and 
if Mollie had known what a force was 
gathering against her, she would have 
turned and fled. As it was, the school- 
room looked bright and pleasant to 
her, and the young, fresh faces gave 
her new courage. 

In the country school from which 
she had come she had plenty of firm, 
honest friends, and she hoped for as 
many more here; so, when she was led 
to her seat, which was near that of 
Augusta, she resolved immediately to 
be friends with the girls about her. 

Augusta had. rather liked Mollie’s 
manner as she took her seat, and was 
watching her, rather relenting from 
her first judgment, when a slight thing 
swept Mollie’s advantage quite away. 

The school opened with Bible read- 
ing and prayer. When the chapter 


CRYSTALS. 117 


commenced, Augusta’s slate and arith- 
metic came out slyly from her desk, 
and she ciphered diligently. Mollie’s 
black eyes opened wide with surprise 
and dismay, and they did not lessen 
when, as she bowed her head upon the 
desk during the prayer, she heard the 
pencil moving rapidly across the slate. 
Augusta saw the amazed look, and it 
amused her. She saw also the bowed 
head and reverent manner, so she 
wrote on her slate for the inspection 
of her next neighbor: “ Weare pious.” 
To this came an answer written un- 
derneath: “So I see. That sort of 
thing will not do here.” 

Poor Mollie! Butshe, unconscious 
of her downfall, spent the morning 
very happily. At recess, finding some 
error in her task, she tripped over to 
Augusta’s desk, and placing her slate 


118 CRYSTALS. 


before her, as she sat surrounded by 
her admirers, asked : 

“ Will you be kind enough to tell 
me whether I have the forty-second 
problem placed correctly? 1 see you 
have the same lesson.” 

Augusta, who saw that her waiting 
friends were looking for something 
from her, reaching out a slender, deli- 
cate hand, pushed the slate away. 

“ Really, miss,” she said, haughti- 
ly, ‘I cannot spare time to assist you. 
Suppose you try one of the under- 
teachers, if you can find a real solemn, 
good one like yourself.” 

Mollie hesitated a moment, in per- 
fect surprise, with a flush of pride and 
anger on her face, and then drawing 
the slate toward her, said, with a 
smile of great sweetness: “ 1 am sorry 
to have troubled you. I will take it 


CRYSTALS. 119 


to Professor Adams ;” and with a bow, 
she took her slate and walked up to 
the desk of the principal and asked 
assistance, a thing which not one of 
the group she had left would have 
dared to do. The principal, in answer 
to her question, raised his eyes, and 
liking her bright face and respectful 
manner, drew the slate to him and ex- 
plained the problem at length. She 
thanked him so heartily when he had 
finished that he smiled, and catching 
sight of the watching faces of the 
group of girls, said, loud enough for 
them to hear : “ You are quite welcome. 
Come again when you are in diffi- 
culty.” 

Mollie was not triumphant, although 
she had just cause to be so, but re- 
turned to her seat without even a 
glance toward the group. When they 


1202 ' CRYSTALS. 


recovered from their astonishment, 
they were very angry. 

“JT wonder if that little thing in 
the calico dress supposes she can rule 
us?” said one girl, spitefully. 

“She will find herself mistaken,” 
replied Augusta, drawing herself up. 
And so it grew to be a concerted plan 
among them, that they could not do too 
much to trouble and annoy their young 
school mate. 

Mollie was not long in finding this 
out, much to her regret and dismay. 
And when she knew that it was in 
part occasioned by her love for her 
Lord and Master, and her consequent 
attention to Bible reading and prayer, » 
she was more and more hurt. She 
had a good cry all to herself at home, 
but a prayer followed the cry, and 
after that no one saw or heard any- 


CRYSTALS. 121 


thing in her manner or words which 
led them to suppose that she was 
hurt. But she was grievously wound- 
ed in the days which followed. If her 
friends at home had known the half, 
they would.have removed her directly, 
but she had set herself to overcome 
it and live it down, and in so doing 
her cheek grew thin and pale and her 
step slow and trembling. 

It is wonderful how much girls can 
do to harass and torment one another 
when they really set their minds upon 
the task. Mollie left her desk in order 
every night, but the morning often 
found it in dire confusion, and an 
extra task appointed her for negli- 
gence. The margins of her book 
would be found by her covered with 
‘pencil-marks and scribblings, often- 


times with remarks which she would 
u 


122 CRYSTALS. 


never have thought of writing. Her 
hat would disappear from its nail in 
the cloak-room, her over-shoes were 
ever missing on a rainy day, and she 
would find these articles in the most 
out-of-the-way places. Apple parings 
would be slipped into her pocket, and 
pictures of herself in every position 
of prayer or reverent attention. Fifty 
times a day she would hear ill-natured 
remarks about her as she passed 
eroups of girls, and they, following 
their leader Augusta, drew away from 
her until she was left alone. 

The teachers could not understand 
it and held their peace. Mollie was a 
good scholar, regular, attentive and 
prompt, but why she had no inter- 
course with the pupils was what they 
could not understand. Some girls’ 
there were who liked her much, but 


CRYSTALS. 123 


for fear of Augusta they could not 
associate with her, and in the mean 
time, as I say, she was growing pale 
and thin. So far will the bad influence 
of a popular girl lead others in the 
wrong. 

And what did Mollie do? Every- 
thing in her power to return acts of 
goodness and kindness for these acts 
of cruelty. She would leave an apple 
or an orange in Augusta’s desk at 
recess, which that young lady was sure 
to eat—shame to her!—she would 
explain examples (for they came to 
her in need), copy exercises—in short, 
do everything in her power for them. 

One morning, after this had been 
going on for some months, the princi- 
pal rang the bell and announced that 
he would eall the first class in Latin 
in half an hour. ‘‘J am aware, young 


124 CRYSTALS. 


ladies, that the recitation is not due 
until afternoon,” he said, “but of 
course it will make no difference to 
you, for I trust it is already prepared.” 

“Oh,” said Augusta in a loud 
whisper, ‘“ what shall I do? My book 
is at home, and I don’t KnOW a word 
of my lesson!” 

Mollie had her own Baek and was 
reviewing the already partially pre- 
pared lesson, but she closed it and 
raised her hand for permission to 
consult the dictionary at the desk. 
Permission was given, and as she rose 
she took her Latin Reader with her, 
and as she passed Augusta she laid it 
down and stepped forward to the desk. 
Mollie, Augusta.and one or two others 
were the only ones who recited perfect- 
ly, and as Mollie passed them on her 
way.out one of the girls said: 


CRYSTALS. 125 


‘“‘Gussy, where did you get a Latin 
book ?” 

“Oh,” she replied, carelessly, “old 
Muggins dropped it by accident on 
my desk, so I kept it. 

This was her constant reward, but 
still, aided by a Power higher than her 
own, with a heavenly patience she 
persevered. 

The writing of a monthly essay 
always decided the standing of each 
girl in her class, and perhaps there 
was no task upon which the girls 
expended more diligence than upon 
this. But work as they would, Augusta 
always stood at the head, and since 
her arrival, Mollie ever stood next. 
Consequently, Augusta had of late 
tried harder than ever to keep her 
place, fearful that “Old Muggins,” as 
she called her, would get it, and per- 


i * 


126 CRYSTALS. 


haps in no place had Mollie suffered 
more than in her position next to 
Augusta in the class. | 

The exercises were on the afternoon 
of the first day of the month, which 
fell on the first of May upon Monday. | 
On the Sunday preceding, Augusta 
had written hers at the expense of 
three or four Sunday hours, and it was 
finished and prepared on Monday 
morning, leaving her the day for her 
lessons, which were not learned. Mol- 
lie, on the contrary, prepared her 
lessons and the “rough” of her essay 
on the evening of Saturday, intending 
to spend the Monday school-time in 
copying it. i 

She was preparing to do this on 
Monday morning, and had placed the 
paper before her, when an exclamation 
of sorrow and consternation, of grief 


CRYSTALS. 127 


and dismay, from Augusta, made her 
look up. She had been giving some 
last touches to her manuscript, when, 
moving carelessly, her ink bottle over- 
turned, the contents saturating her 
precious sheets. The girl was pale 
with disappointment and grief. 

“Write it again,’ suggested one of 
the girls. 

‘“T cannot,” she returned, the tears 
coming into her eyes—‘‘ I cannot, for 
I do not know a single lesson.” In her 
anger she rose from her seat and 
threw her essay into the coal-box. 

Mollie saw, heard and decided. 
Taking occasion to cross the room, she 
seized the sheets from the box, and 
concealing them beneath her apron, 
returned to her seat. ‘Then she com- 
menced to copy upon her own paper 
the ruined essay, hiding the original 


128 CRYSTALS. 


from prying eyes. She had her own 
still to copy, and she required busy 
fingers and a steady hand to accom- 
plish it. When at length Augusta’s 
was finished, she had only an hour 
left to complete her own, and in her 
hurry and the pain and cramped feel- 
ing about her hands, it was very 
poorly done. She knew that she 
would lose by it, but she felt as if she 
cared nothing about it. She was. re- 
solved to do good to them that hated 
her. 

The essays were laid upon a certain 
table when completed, and Mollie 
placed the two, her own and Augusta’s, 
on a pile with the rest. Augusta’s 
face frowned darkly as she passed 
without depositing hers. 

Late in the afternoon they gathered 
for the reading, which was done by 


CRYSTALS. 129 


Professor Andrews. He always com- 
menced with the poorest and read on 
to the best. Mbollie’s turn came before 
she was ready for it. “I am sorry to 
say,’ he remarked as he took up her 
composition, “that Miss Mount must 
lose two places in the class for the 
carelessness with which her composi- 
tion is prepared.” Augusta’s eyes 
brightened. ‘The essay was read and 
laid aside. The two above her were 
then read, and finally Professor 
Andrews took up the nicely-prepared 
work of Mollie. He read the title, 
and then said: ‘‘ Below this is written : 
*As Miss Augusta’s work was blotted 
by an accident this morning, her essay 
was copied by her friend, Mollie 
Mount.’ ” 

_ He hesitated a moment, and then 
read the paper through. There was a 


130 CRYSTALS. 


dead silence in the room when he fin- 
ished and said very gravely : 

‘Miss Augusta retains her place at 
the head through the kindness of her 
_ friend, Miss Mount. Miss Mollie,” 
he continued, “why is not your own 
written as well as this ?” 

“T had not time, sir,” she replied, 
quietly. 

She looked toward Augusta as they 
were dismissed and was startled by 
the deadly whiteness of her face. In 
the cloak-room Mollie found her 
again, standing with her head in her 
hands, leaning against the mantel. 
The girls were standing around her, 
anxiously asking what was the matter. 
She roused as Mollie came in, and 
when she saw her she broke away from 
them, and stepping toward her, threw 
her arms about her neck, crying: 


CRYSTALS. 13h 


Oh, Mollie Mount! Mollie Mount! 
You have conquered me, you noble 
child !” pac. 

‘No, Augusta, give my Master the 
praise,” replied Mollie. 

“Your Master is the Lord, Mollie 
Mount,” she continued, “and you are 
his brave, faithful servant. Your 
religion shall be mine if it will make 
me as pure and noble as you are. Can 
you forgive me?” 

Mollie looked in her eyes as simply 
as a little child, and said: “Let us 
kiss and be friends.” Augusta kissed 
her, sobbing, and without a word to 
her favorites, who stood in speechless 
astonishment, took her hat and de- 
parted. 

The next morning when the school 
was called to order, Professor An- 
drews stepped forward to the edge of 


132 CRYSTALS. 


the platform, and said that before the 
Bible was read Miss Augusta Cleve- 
land had a word to say to the scholars. 
She rose at this summons, and hesitat- 
ing not an instant, made a complete 
confession of all the wrong she had 
been guilty of toward Mollie from the 
first day until now. “I confess it all 
and claim all the blame,” she said, 
‘because it is all my fault. I am 
counted as a leader here, and I have 
used my influence steadily toward the 
evil. This little Christian in the ser- 
vice of her Master has conquered me 
by kindness. I am _ henceforth not 
only her friend, but the servant of her 
Lord, and I will use whatever power 
remains with me for his service.” 
Then, for the first time in all the 
months of torment that had passed, 
and all the evils and trials she had 


CRYSTALS. 136 


borne, Mollie leaned her head upon 
her desk and cried before her school- 
mates. 

Augusta did try. It was hard work 
for her to undo the wrong she had 
done. It took months and months to 
retrieve past error, but finally she 
Succeeded, and Mollie was a favorite, 
reigning side by side with Augusta. 
They were both subjects of the same 
King—the Lord Jesus Christ. 


12 


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TO HIM WHO WILLS, WAYS ARE SELDOM 
WANTING. 


WANT to tell you the story of 

my little maid. Not that she 

was anything wonderful, but her 
noble conduct has had such an effect 
upon me. 

I am not yet grown up—that is, not 
altogether, for I am only fifteen; but 
I never knew my mother, as she died 
when I was a little baby, and papa 
said I must have a maid to help me 
take care of myself. I thought when 
he first suggested the idea to me that 


he would find a person much older and 
12* | 137 


138 CRYSTALS. 


wiser than I to see that I did all that 
was right. You may imagine how 
much surprised I was, when the maid 
was announced, to see walking in at 
the door some one not much older or 
larger than myself. She looked so 
pleasant. and companionable that it 
came very near jumping up and kiss- 
ing her, but I remembered that it 
would not be at all proper, so I press- 
ed my two hands very tightly together 
to keep myself still, and said very 
slowly, that I might appear dignified : 

“Ts this my maid?” } 

“Yes, Miss Ida,” she answered. 

“Have you come to stay?” I asked 
again. | 

“Yes, Miss Ida,” she returned. 

I was afraid of her and wanted to 
get up and run away, but I knew that. 
would never do, so I said: | 


CRYSTALS. 139 


- “You may go with Mrs. James, the 
LO ae When I want slp I 
will ring.’ 

I thought that was a re cklcaltate 
speech after I had made it. I felt as 
if I were mistress of the whole house 
instead of one little maid. 

I found something for her to do 
after a while, and when I had set her 
to mending my gloves and brushing 
my cloak, the strangeness commenced 
- to wear off. I grew to like her very 
much and to feel it a pleasure when- 
ever she was working around me. I 
gave her a good deal of time to herself, 
too. I used to think that if she knew 
how much I wished her near me, and 
how loth I was to spare her when I 
gave her leave to go, that she would 
not have, gone so often. I found af- 
terward how very much mistaken I 


140 CRYSTALS. 


had been, and it is about this I want 
to tell you. 

I rang the bell for her one morning 
while I was finishing a letter, and 
when I had sealed and directed it, I 
found her standing by my side await- 
ing my order. As I glanced up, after 
giving the letter into her hand, I 
noticed she looked pale and worn, and 
I asked her if she felt well. 

“ Quite well,” she replied, and turn- 
ed away as soon as she could. 

I was a careless girl and never had 
any one but myself to think about, so 
I forgot her and her looks until she 
came to me later in the day and stood 
timidly behind my chair. I was work- 
ing roses on a square of worsted, and 
being busy counting stitches, I did 
not lift my head, but asked, “ What 
is it?” as she waited. 


CRYSTALS. 141 


“Tf you please, Miss Ida, I thought 
I. might ask you to help me.” She 
held out an algebra as she spoke, and 
asked in a few words the solution of a 
problem. “I thought as you were 
always studying you would be willing 
to show me,” she said. 

I had it on my lips to ask her why 
she was studying a branch of which, 
literally, I did not suppose she knew 
the A B C, but something in her 
manner checked me, and feeling rather 
proud that I could explain the exam- 
ple, I took a pencil and paper, 
ciphered and explained. She listened 
intently, and when I finished thanked 
me earnestly. I do not know what 
good feeling prompted me, but I 
said : 

« Any time you want help do not 
hesitate to come to me. I shall always 


142 CRYSTALS. 


be glad to help you, and any of the 
pooks in the right-hand case of the 
library are at your service. Those 
belong to me; the rest are father’s.” 
She seemed very much pleased, and 
thanked me again. 

I noticed after this that my library 
shelves were constantly visited, some- 
times for one book, sometimes for 
another, all of them branches of study, 
for although I had a good collection 
of tales and poems, I never missed 
one of them. However she used these 
books—and from the number she 
took there must have been a quantity 
of studying—I never missed her from 
her duties. She came whenever my 
bell rang, but, as I say, I was not ex- 
acting, so she had many hours of 
leisure. I never inquired into her 
history in any way. I think if I had 


CRYSTALS. 143 


been older and more observing, I 
should have known from her face that 
she had care upon her, and should 
have tried to cheer her. I always had 
her with me in the evening, because 
my father was so often away then 
and I was lonely. She sat on one side 
of an open fire and I on the other. 
She kept a book or some fine work 
near, and I almost always read. 

One night I dropped my book, tired 
of the long silence, and leaning back, 
looked across the fire at my young 
companion, who, strange to say, was 
doing nothing but sitting with her 
hands folded, gazing into the fire. She 
did not perceive that I had ceased 
reading, and so did not look up until 
I spoke. 

“ Maggie,” I said, “I have found a 
very beautiful story in this book which 


144 CRYSTAIS. 


I have been reading. Would you like 
to hear it?” 

“Thank you, Miss Ida! I would 
like it very much,” she said, turning 
her face toward me, but I noticed by 
the fire-light that she looked pale and 
worn. I took up the book and read: 

“Once there was a king who had a 
very large vineyard. The vines were 
so plentiful and the fruit so rich and 
rare that it required many men to 
take care of it. The king loved his 
laborers very much, and was accus- 
tomed to walk about among them, 
talking to them and watching them. 
Most of the men loved the king in re- 
turn, but some were fearful that when 
he promised them wages he did not 
mean what he said. Sometimes he 
would find a laborer who had trained 
the tender vines until the long stoop- 


CRYSTALS. 145 


ing to bring the tender branches into 
place had made him weak and very 
tired. ‘My dear servant,” the king 
would say, “I see that your work is 
almost finished, and you have done it 
well. Such sweet rest shall be yours 
as you never dreamed of, and it will 
be my pleasure to have you near me 
and my name shall be in your fore- 
head.” Another he would find whose 
vines hung drooping, and who lay upon 
the ground in the shade eating 
the fresh grapes, which he might 
reach by stretching out his hand. 
‘Do you know how to do your work ?” 
asked the king. “ Yes,” said the ser- 
vant. ‘Iwill give you great treasure 
if you will do my work,” urged the 
king. ‘The grapes are good enough 
for me,” said the man. ‘To him who 
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, 


13 


146 CRYSTALS. 


to him it is sin,” replied the king, 
passing on his way very sorrowfully. 
Next to this man toiled another, and, 
although he worked earnestly and 
long, yet the idle servant was ever 
teasing him to lay aside his work. 
“ Thou bearest with all gentleness and 
meekness, with long-suffering,” said 
the king to him; “do not forget that: 
there remaineth a rest for thee.” 
“ Shall I be able to comprehend with 
all saints what is the breadth and 
length and depth and height of 
thy love?” he asked, looking with 
great joy on the king. “He has 
never proved that he loved us,” said 
the idle one, sneeringly. ‘Thou 
knowest, my servant beloved,” said 
the king with a gentle smile toward 
his patient worker, “that greater love 
hath no man than this, that a man lay. 


CRYSTALS. 147 


down his life for his friends.” Finally 
the king came to a man who was not 
only doing his own work, but contin- 
ually stepping aside to help others not 
so strong as himself. His work did 
not suffer meanwhile, for as he came 
back to it the drooping vines revived 
beneath his first touch, and so skilled 
had he become that he had plenty of 
time for others. The king looked 
very kindly on him and said: ‘“ Well 
done, good and faithful servant! Bear 
ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill 
the law of Christ.” Near him was a 
man striving to lift into its place a 
heavy branch, almost heavier than he 
could bear. After repeated trials it 
finally was fastened securely in its 
place, and the worker glanced tri- 
umphantly at his king. “To him 
that overcometh will I give to sit with 


148 CRYSTALS. 


me on my throne,” said the king. By 
and by all the work was done, and 
then those who had been faithful were 
received into the king’s house, but the 
idle were left outside of the gates. 
There was rest and joy and pleasure 
within, more than can be told in 
words. Each one had his dearest 
desire fulfilled; but the greatest joy 
of all was to be constantly near the 
king, whose name was called ‘ Won- 
derful, Counsellor, the mighty God, 
the everlasting Father, the Prince of 
Peace.””’”’ | 

It did me good to see Maggie’s face, 
it was so lifted and sunny when I fin- 
ished. 

‘Was not the king kind ?” I asked. 

“Oh yes,” she replied, gently, ‘‘ the 
love of our Lord Jesus is wonderful.” 

I saw she had appreciated it, so I 


CRYSTALS. 149 


read on, well satisfied with my listen- 
er, and when I finished she thanked 
me so sweetly and looked so much 
happier that I was repaid for any 
little effort I had made. 

If I had been older and wiser, I 
should have noticed after this that 
something was, going wrong with the 
busy girl, but I was so fond of my- 
self and my own pleasure that for two 
weeks afterward I never thought of 
her except to call her when I wanted 
her. She was always ready, and very 
gentle and loving. One evening, after 
she had arranged my room for the 
night, she came and stood by my 
chair as she had done on the afternoon 
of the algebra question. She had often 
been to me since, so I said: 

“Well, Maggie, what puzzles you 
to-night ?” 


13 # 


150 CRYSTALS. 


“Miss Ida,” she replied, “I have a 
great favor to ask of you.” It was so 
strange for her to ask a favor that I 
turned round and looked at her. “I 
wanted to know,” she said, not with- 
out some effort, “if you could excuse 
me for a week or two from remain- 
ing in the house at night. I have a 
sick bragher at home who needs beh 
care.’ 

It was the first time she had a 
of her home, and now it was evident 
she did not wish to do so. 

“T will gladly excuse you,” I replied, 
“but you know I must see papa about 
it first. Would you like to go to- 
night ?” 

“Tf you please, Miss Ida.” 

So I rose and went to papa, who 
consented, and as I gave her permis- 
sion, I said : | 


CRYSTALS. 151 


‘Do not sit up at night. It is very 
wearying.”’ ; 

She smiled very queerly, and said 
she would not any more than she 
could help. 

She changed very much after that. 
Her cheeks grew white and thin and 
her eyes were heavy. Once I caught 
her wiping away tears, and I bethought 
myself to ask her how her brother was. 

‘Better,’ she said, but her eyes 
filled again. I gave her some fruit 
for him, and it cheered her instantly, 
so little did it take to please her. It 
was the same day at dinner that papa 
sald: 

“Ida, is Maggie to be in the ms 
this afternoon ?” 

“No, papa,” I replied; “I gave her 
. the afternoon, but. she can be here if 
you wish.” 


152 CRYSTALS. 


«TJ do not wish,” he said; “but I 
hear very curious stories about your 
little maid, and, if you please, we will 
ride over to her home this afternoon 
and see her.” 

“But, papa, I do not know where 
she lives.” 

“T do,” he returned, shortly. 

“ What have you heard, papa?” | 
asked. | 

“Wait and see if it be true,” he an- 
swered. 

I was all impatience, for I feared 
there was something wrong. I think 
I should have asked Maggie, but I 
found that she had gone when I went 
up stairs. Papa’s face was very 
grave when he put me into the car- 
riage. He talked to me about my 
studies all the way, and it was a long 
way. We wound through a part of 


CRYSTALS. 1905 


the town in which I had never been 
before, and when at last we did stop, 
it was in front of a forlorn wooden 
house, in the lower story of which 
was a miserable cake shop, and the 
second floor of which had a sloping 
roof. 

‘“T want to see and hear your little 
maid without her seeing us,” said 
papa. 

He helped me down and I followed 
him, very much amazed, up a rickety 
flight of stairs into an entry above, or 
rather a room, for the stairs opened 
into a room, bare and chill, from the 
farther side of which opened a door 
into another room. This stood open, 
and we could hear voices within. Mo- 
tioning to me to be very quiet, papa 
passed across on tip-toe and stood near 
the door, where he could see inside the 


154 CRYSTALS. 


room without being seen. 1 followed 
and stood beside him. 

I think I never shall recall the few 
moments I stood there without being 
overcome anew with the sense of utter 
astonishment I had then, ‘The room 
was plainly furnished, and evidently 
was the living room of the family, for 
there were both a bed and a cooking- 
stove in it. Near this last stood— 
could it be ?-—-Maggie in an old faded 
calico dress, her hair pushed aside, 
bending over a great tub, from which 
the steam rose, and scrubbing away on 
the wash-board with all her er 
On a tiny shelf above the tub was 
book, fastened open and wee 
from straying drops. As she raised 
her head from time to time to wring 
‘gome article, her eye would fall upon 
the page and she seemed to study a 


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sok 


CRYSTALS, 155 


few minutes. <A little distance from 
her, in a low chair by the window, sat 
a sick boy, wan and pale, bundled 
about with pillows, and at his feet a 
little girl about six years old, putting 
quick stitches into a pair of worn 
stockings. 

“Where are their parents ?” I whis- 
pered in amazement. 

“That brave girl at the tub is all 
they have,” returned my father in a 
choked voice. 

“Ts this what you heard ?” I asked. 

“Yes,” he replied. ‘ Hush!” 

_ I quitted immediately, for they were 
talking. 

“Sister Maggie,” said a wee voice 
coming from the easy-chair, ‘tell me 
about Miss Ida. Stop Riuapiag a little 
while and talk to me.’ 

Maggie reluctantly took her eyes 


156 CRYSTALS. 


away from her book and turned toward 
the little brother. 

“What shall I tell you?” she asked 
with a smile such as I never had seen 
on her face and which seemed worth 
as much as anything she might tell. 

“Oh, about the pretty things she 
has and how she goes riding!” 

So I listened, with a heart that bled, 
to a description of things which made 
up my daily life and seemed to me 
common comforts. All my little be- 
longings, from my Geneva watch to 
slippers lined with down, the little 
ones listened to, with once and a while 
an exclamation of delight and longing. 
The carriage from which I had just 
alighted seemed expressly a wonder. 

‘She rides in a satin-lined carriage 
with two black horses to draw it,” said 
Maggie, ‘‘ and the movement is so easy 


CRYSTALS. 157 


that you seem to be sailing on a quiet 
river.” 

“Sister Maggie, were you ever in 
it?” asked the little boy. 

“Yes, Harry, I took a ride with her 
one day when she was going out to 
tea and needed me. I wish you could 
have been in my place.” A sigh 
came with the last sentence. 

“Why, sister Maggie, didn’t you 
like it?” 

‘Yes, only I could not help think- 
ing all the time how it would bring 
the roses into your cheeks.” 

‘‘ Miss Ida must be very, very hap- 
py,” said the little girl, musingly. 

“Yes, I think she is,” said Maggie. 

“And she is not proud, I think you 
told us,” said the little boy. 

‘No, not proud in the least. You 


know it was she who sent you those 
14 


158. CRYSTALS.» 


nice oranges, and who helps me with 
my lessons.” 
My father turned toward me very 
much pleased, but I was overcome. It. 
seemed to me as if I had never been 
anything but selfish and cruel to keep, 
all my luxuries away from these chil- 
dren. | 
“Some day you are going to ask 
her to lend me that beautiful story ‘of 
the Lord Jesus and his vineyard, are 
you not, Maggie?” 
“T think so,” replied Maggie. And 
then continued more sorrowfully, 
“ Miss Ida has no mother, but she has 
a dear father.” | yore 
“Has she a dear, good sister Mag- 
gie?” asked the little girl 
“No,” laughed Maggie, “but she 
has plenty of good aunts and cousins.” 
_ “Td rather. have sister Maggie than 


CRYSTALS. 159 


all of them, wouldn’t you, Kit ?” said 
the sick boy. ‘Aunts and cousins 
wouldn’t watch with us as Maggie did 
when I was so sick.” nar 

“ Maggie’s everything,” said Kitty, 
energetically. 

“Papa,” TI said—‘ papa, “Jet us go 
in, and may I not take Harry riding, 
bring Kitty a new dress and let Mag- 
gie study all day long ?” 

“My daughter may do all she likes 
toward helping this noble girl, and I 
will aid her in it,” said my father, 
taking my hand. 

It needed only two or three ddbided 
steps on the boards to turn their 
attention toward us, and Maggie’s 
hands came very quickly out of the 
tub, and she came to us flushed and 
ae | 

I thought I was going fd be very 


160 CRYSTALS. 


brave, but when I opened my mouth 
to speak I only said: | 

“Qh, Maggie, why didn’t you tell 
me ?” and then broke down and cried. 
Maggie looked puzzled and asked 
hurriedly : | | 

‘What is the matter ?” 

‘Tda is sorrowing to find you with- 
out the many comforts she enjoys,” 
sald papa; “and I am sorry too, 
for if you had only told us we would 
have given you a better home than 
this. But tell me, why are you Bbuily 

ing a 

“T thought, sir,” said Maggie, fhiish- 
‘ing, “that with a little more study I 
might fit myself fora teacher, and so 
make my brother and sister more com- 
fortable. I fill the place of father. and 
mother both, you know.” 

I had oheeod) my tears by this 


CRYSTALS. 161 


time. Somehow I could not cry here 
where this girl, who was my own age, 
had been so brave and true. I went 
across the little room and knelt down 
by the sick boy’s chair, who, with his 
sister, had never taken his eyes from 
us. | 

“Are you well enough to walk, 
Harry ?” I asked. | 

‘Yes, miss,” he said, timidly, and 
in exactly his sister’s manner—the sis- 
ter who had been my maid. To think 
of little insignificant me sistas such 
a maid! 
' “ Because,” I said, “ if you could 
walk down stairs I would like to take 
you and your sister’—here I caught 
the other pair of wondering eyes— 
out for a ride. My catriage is ag 
here.” 
. .# Ah!” said they both together, ise 


14 * 


162 CRYSTALS. 


a flush came into the pale cheek before 
me. praloor yar : r 
“Papa,” I said, “I want. to take 
this little boy and his sister to ride 
this beautiful afternoon.” | 

“You had better ask Maggie,” he 
sald. 
_ Maggie was very happy. She feared 
it was too much trouble. ‘ Dear 
Harry did not look as well as he 
might,’ she said, for she “had not 
been able to do as she wished for him, 
and she was afraid I would find them 
troublesome.” 

There was no danger of this. I 
think I was never more happy in my 
life than in the next two hours. It 
seemed as if I had taken them into 
paradise, and as I bade the coachman 
drive into the park, and we wound 
round the walks, I think I never knew 


CRYSTALS. 163 
three children more wondrously happy 
than we. “To think of you and me 
being in the satin-lined carriage!” I 
heard one say to the other, while I 
was giving directions to the coachman. 
How the blood came rushing into the 
boy’s pale cheeks, and how his sister 
laughed and cried over him when we 
came back ! 

A. week after and I had lost my 
little maid, for she was: installed over 
a school of sixty bright-faced boys 
and girls. . “‘ Very thoroughly prepar- 
ed,’”’ the committee said she was. The 
little sick boy was in my old nursery 
under the care of the housekeeper, 
and papa said his sister must come 
and keep him company, so Kitty came 
too. | 
'. At night the young school-mistress 
comes in, and loves to ‘stand and 


164 CRYSTALS? 


watch the happy couple, who, sitting 
upon the soft chairs they had loved to. 
hear about, feeling comfortable and 
happy, tall: together with low laughs 
of pleasure and content. She turns to 
us then with her face full of gratitude, 
and tries to thank us, but I always 
a | , tg 4 

“Stop, Maggie, it is your own faith- 
fulness and God’s oe alee that have 
given you these blessings.” 

I have never had a maid since then; 
and I never want one more. It seems 
as if the three could never do ehough 
for me; and if I desired any recom- 
pense for what I have done for them, 
[have it in seeing them happy and well; 
and in knowing, as I do, that Maggie is 
loved and respected by all her scholars. 
They read over together the allegory 
of the king and the vineyard, and, in 


CRYSTALS. 165 


their gratitude and love, they call the 
person who lifted up the tender vines 
by my name. There is a great com- 
fort in seeing others happy through 
your influence, but there is a greater 
happiness in scattering the gifts God 
has given you in gratitude for his 
mercies. 

This is the story of my little maid. 


rt Fis wosks ian fiw alaltbos g thodt ; 


 ppacty sohasd olf qu boii od soared» 


dgridadt ‘taqed wuodto gnissa a duck a 
codeetg ek todd ied consnRnhapey 
hoWreliie odt gulvolaoe ai eaomiqenal 


abt 08 ‘ssa ak soy novig’ apil 


ie Liisi ol) eit tg wots oul " nid) , 


? :. fi he | 


J r 


a! 
tine Lian bee 


uh iia aay 
4 eee a py et Lee 1 
i Y Lj Gy i : it 
7 & 
G 


My ei r in a 


tg Ae RAY bie, hee eae ro 


smo Jamig-e- er ovsd'T: omen quaryd | | 
| 


wsolovont . 


lm 


VIII. 
Ho Lent Moves but God Gills it. 


167 


opt Ie ay 
AULD eng ha 
7 1 
, ts } 
1aN/ Goa 
Die oe 
a) « ov, , q 
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ig 


VIII. 
NO LEAF MOVES BUT GOD WILLIS IT. 


RRANK did not want to leave 
“fh> his book and his sunny corner 
by the window to traverse the 
busy, crowded streets of New York 
and cross the ferry to Jersey City. 
Nothing but duty would have induced 
him to do so, but knowing how much 
his father’s comfort and pleasure de- 
pended upon the prompt arrange- 
ment of the business matter he had on 
hand, he closed his book, took up his 
hat and left the house. 

When he arrived at the crowded 
ferry he found that a boat had just 


15 169 


170 CRYSTALS. 


come in, and choosing rather to spend 
the few minutes before it started on 
the boat than in the not over-clean 
waiting-room, he stepped on board and 
took his seat in the saloon at the far- 
ther end. He had neglected to buy a 
newspaper, and so with nothing to do 
but wait—and that is very hard work 
sometimes—he sat watching the peo- 
ple come in. What a number there 
were of all classes and ages and sizes! 
First he noticed two little musicians 
with their harps, going probably to 
spend the day in Jersey City, or in 
the little villages about there, playing 
and singing. They stood listlessly at 
one end of the saloon with their harps 
leaned up against the wood-work. 
Then a party of travelers going south- 
ward, who seemed very much ‘elated 
with the prospect of their journey. 


ORYSTALS. 171 


Then three or four young clerks like 
himself, with their pockets full of let- 
ters, and, unlike himself, with their 
heads too full of business to notice 
any one. Then a mother with her 
baby, two or three market-women 
and some laborers, three or four little 
girls with their nurses, some fashion- 
ably-dressed ladies, and then a very 
grave-faced working-girl, two commer- 
clal travelers with their little bags, 
and a busy merchant who made notes 
on the edge of his newspaper. Finally 
they crowded one upon another so fast 
that Frank ceased to count them, and 
they placed themselves, some inside, 
some outside, all about the boat, wait- 
ing until they could be carried across 
the division between the two States 
impassable for their feet. 

Suddenly, as Frank looked about 


172 CRYSTALS. 


upon all these faces, he wondered how 
many of them had a thought of God’s 
love toward them, or whether the most 
of them loved the Saviour who had 
died for them. He thought of the 
‘sweet story of old,” and wished very 
strongly that an angel’s voice could 
tell it here and to all these. 

Suddenly, as he dwelt on _ this 
thought, the voice within his heart 
whispered: “When will you have a 
better chance to witness for Jesus?” 
‘ But I cannot speak here,” he replied 
to it. “But you can sing a hymn,” it 
pleaded; ‘“ people always listen to mu- 
sic.” ‘But I am so young,” urged he 
with the Spirit. ‘So was the Lord when 
he talked with the doctors in the tem- 
ple.” ‘My voice may falter and lose 
its power.” “ It will reach a dozen or 
twenty at least, and that may do in- 


CRYSTALS, 173 


calculable good. Go, and my grace is 
sufficient for thee.” 

All this was within, and few, if any, 
noticed that a young man left his seat 
and with a white face stepped across 
the saloon to a station near the door. 
Once there he turned half round to be 
partly inside and partly on the deck, 
and in a moment every eye was upon 
him, for in a clear, full, steady, and 
very feeling voice, he sang: 

“ One there is above all others 
Well deserves the name of Friend ; 


His is love beyond a brother’s, 
Costly, free, and knows no end. 


“Which of all our friends to save us 
Could or would have shed his blood? 
But this Saviour died to have us 
Reconciled in him to God. 


“When he lived on earth abaséd, 
‘Friend of sinners’ was his name, 
Now, above all glory raiséd, 
He rejoices in the same. 
15 * 


174 CRYSTALS. 


“Oh for grace our hearts to soften! 
Teach us, Lord, at length to love; 
We, alas! forget too often 
What a Friend we have above !” 


He sung amid a silence that could 
be felt. The jar of the machinery as 
they started, the working of the boat 
upon the waves, and the stamp of 
horses’ feet between decks, were the 
only sounds. Every tongue was hush- 
ed; gentlemen dropped their papers 
and listened; the two little harpers 
hearkened with straining ears, and as 
the sweet words dropped into the 
hearts of that boat-load of people, in 
the clear distinctness with which they 
were uttered, they could not help see- 
ing and knowing the love which had 
been poured out for them. 

It was done. God’s gift to men 
was made known to them. They 


CRYSTALS. 175 


might forget it, but they knew it now 
and felt it. The boat neared the op- 
posite shore. There were talkers here 
and there, but solemn stillness for the 
most part reigned. It broke gradu- 
ally, and as the boat touched the op- 
posite pier the influence seemed over 
and gone. Frank would scarcely have 
realized that he had sung if it had not 
been for a strained feeling in his throat, 
but as he was stepping off a hand 
came through the crowd grasping his, 
and an old silver-haired gentleman 
sald : 

“Young man, you could not have 
done a better thing. We thank you 
very much.” 

If he had needed recompense, he 
was paid now. He went his way, fin- 
ished his business and returned to his 
sunny corner and his book, almost 


176 CRYSTALS, 


forgetful of the lesson of the morn- 
ing. 

Who ean calculate the influence of 
that one hymn! I can tell you only 
a little. I can tell you of three out of 
that whole multitude, where the in- 
fluence of the hymn remained. 

The two little harpers spent the day 
going from place to place with their 
music and begging pennies. They 
met with a few kind words, but many 
coarse and cruel ones. Nevertheless 
they made enough to give them a 
dinner and supper, and when the 
summer night drew down over the 
earth, they were in an open field among 
the hay-stacks. They spread the soft, 
sweet hay upon the ground and made 
themselves a bed and lay down upon 
it. 

“Will,” said one to the other, look- 


CRYSTALS. 177 


ing up to the bright stars as he spoke, 
‘do you remember the gentleman 
who sang on board the boat this morn- 
ing ?” | 

“Yes,” replied the other; “wasn’t 

it pretty ?” 
“You know,” continued the first, 
“he said we had a Friend above the 
stars up there who loved us more than 
we loved each other.” 

“J wonder if he sees us now, Dick ?” 
_“T somehow think he does, Will, 
and we can go to sleep without being 
in the least afraid when we know he 
is watching us.”’ 

So the two went to sleep, trusting 
their new-found Friend, while the eyes 
of Him who “sticketh closer than a 
brother” were over them in love and 
protecting care. | 

A market-man heard the hymn as 


178 CRYSTALS, 


he went to secure his produce for the 
New York market, and during his 
day’s work the words were constantly 
recurring to his mind. It was not a 
very successful day. His produce sold 
for a lower price than he had hoped it 
would, and he was disappointed at the 
delay of a sum of money which he 
had been expecting; so as toward the 
close of the day he drove his heavy 
farm wagon again across the ferry, his 
heart was sore and heavy. The faith- 
ful horses trudged, with the empty 
wagon behind them, through the vil- 
lages, out into the open country, and 
on toward his home. The miles less- 
ened, and he heeded them not among 
his despondent thoughts. By and by 
upon these came the hymn again. 
It seemed as if the words echoed them- 
selves back in his memory until he 


CRYSTALS. 179 


was a child again and listening to his 
mother’s voice. With the remembrance 
of her voice came the recollection of 
her teachings and example, her life of 
patience, trust and long suffering—how 
she had lived with these in her heart, 
how she had died with these for her 
crown. The thought softened him and 
gave him hope. He commenced to 
sing gently the words of the morning, 
until, his voice rising in power with 
the wondrous sweetness of the words, 
the melody floated through woods and 
fields, echoed and re-echoed every- 
where. 

It was late, and his wife, having 
waited long and anxiously for his 
coming, finally put a light in the win- 
dow and stood in the doorway watching 
and hearkening. Finally the tramp of 
horses’ feet reached her ear, and after 


180 CRYSTALS, 


it, a full voice singing through the 
night : 
“Oh for grace our hearts to soften ! 
Teach us, Lord, at length to love; 


We, alas! forget too often 
What a Friend we have above!” . 


A poor, sad-faced working girl heard 
the hymn. She had left a dying sister 
at home, and would not see her until 
night again. All day long as she set 
stitches one after another, she worked 
her pain into the cloth, but she worked 
the hymn in too, and the comfort of 
the Friend she had not known stilled 
and cheered her. Finally she had 
leave to go home, and there she bent 
over the couch of the little sister, who 
had failed very much since the morn- 
ing. 

‘Tell me something pretty,” said 
the little one, faintly. 


CRYSTALS. " JS 


“JT will tell you,” said her sister, 
holding the hot hand in her own cool 
one, “of some words I heard from a 
gentleman on the ferry-boat this 
morning. He sang them, and I have 
remembered them all day. I sang 
them when I was a little girl: 


‘One there is above all others 
Well deserves the name of Friend,” 


and so on to*the end, softly singing. 
As drops of dew fall on the sun-heated 
flowers, so fell these words upon the 
little blossom so near the close of life. 
She shut her eyes and listened, smiling 
gently, and after it was through fell 
into a quiet slumber. It was midnight 
when she awoke again, and her sister, 
who was watching beside her, saw 
that the last change was coming, and 
calling her mother, lifted the slight 


16 


aoe CRYSTALS. 


form so that her head rested upon her 
sister’s shoulder. She breathed two 
or three times and then looked up. 

‘What is it, Nellie darling?” said 
the sister, and she stooped to catch the 
words. — | | 

‘One there is—above—all others— 
W hat—a Friend—we—have—above.”’ 
And so saying she fell asleep and 
awoke with her Friend. 

“Oh,” you say, “if only Frank had 
known!” No, dear reader, it is better 
as it was. Think what a crowd of 
witnesses it would have brought 
around his pillow! Frank sowed the 
seeds, the gentle leading of circum- 
stances, which is the Spirit’s guidance, 
watered it, and God increased and 
‘multiplied it exceedingly. Neverthe-— 
less, the sweet peace that visited Frank 
‘that night was a gentle Wikre from 


CRYSTALS. 183 


the deed of the morning, and was the 
Saviour’s peace, which “passeth un- 
derstanding.” 


Notre.—There was a hymn thus sung on a New York 
ferry-boat in the summer of 1869, and the account of it 
reached the writer through two or three narrators, each 
having been impressed because “the stillness during 
the singing of the hymn was so solemn.” 


Hig) 


n hel ie 
ue! tat 
Dil xt Ay 


ROME NNER ne tones ~¥ 
ich ape veg Loaituae mpi 


yy 


Vail wy ye pane i 
(na ‘y 


Mi Bit 
~ ur wal a a 
het pny, ; REAer 
¢ , 


Jax, 
Cheer wy; God is tohere Be boas. 


16 # 185 


ree oe 


ea al 


yee ‘: ey : 


aay Pel be a ee ay | 


a oO ; 
iw mh phe hd i . Sie 


6 i eeeit Renal iene 
«maa ser: Hy mein 


bowl ide He LE aM 


Be | Bajnens 


Abe. 


CHEER UP; GOD IS WHERE HE WAS. 


F you should try to think of all 

Up the lives you know, of all the 
people with whom you have been 
acquainted, and of the daily life of 
each one, you would not be able to 
find a narrower or lonelier life than 
that of little Nellie Burges. , 
Her father was the keeper of a 
lightship; that is, he had charge of a 
vessel which was anchored some miles 
away from land, and which was used 
as a sort of floating lighthouse, with 
lanterns fastened high up upon the 
masts at night, to warn sailors away 


from some shoal or rocky place. The 
7 187 


188 CRYSTALS. 


vessel lay tossing to and fro for — 
months, and the lightkeeper and his 
family, with a few sailors, made their 
home there, sometimes without speak- 
ing to a stranger for weeks, and with- 
out going on shore for months. 

Occasionally, a passing vessel would 
draw near enough for them to hear 
the men shouting on her decks and 
to see them moving about. Sometimes 
a little sailboat came pitching out to 
them with fresh provisions, or per- 
haps a government steamer brought 
oil for the lamps. But these were the 
great days, when they forgot to be 
lonely ; the rest of the time would be 
days and nights of tossing and rock- 
ing, with very little to do. 

Nellie was twelve years old at the 
time of which I am writing, and she 
had lived in the lightship seven win- 


CRYSTALS. 189 


ters. She had grown used to the ves- 
sel and the men, her father at his 
work and her mother in the cabin. 
At first, for a few days, she loved the 
ship and the fast-rolling sea; but that 
was all over long ago, and now she 
longed for the life which she knew 
others had—of industry, study and 
pleasure, and of intercourse with those 
of her own age. Her father made 
baskets in the long days when there 
was nothing to do for his lightship. 
She tried to learn the art, but the 
stiff, twisting withes made her hands. 
ache, so she gave if up. 

- Her mother taught her to read, but 
she soon knew all that the yellow- 
covered spelling-book could teach, 
and repeated almost the whole of its 
contents from memory. ‘There were 
no other books to read, so her educa- 


190 CRYSTALS. 


tion stopped there. She asked ques- 
tions about the sea and the fish, until 
she knew all that the sailors could tell 
her, and they were forced to say, “I 
do not Know,” and send her away dis- 
appointed. She learned much in her 
lonely life which older heads would 
have given a great deal to have 
known—the changes of the sky, the 
approach of wind or rain, the varying 
colors of the sea and its wonderful 
inhabitants. 

- Yet Nellie Burges was not a happy 
little girl. She was just old enough 
to wish for a great many things which 
she had not, and she sat swinging to 
and fro in the rigging hour after hour, 
longing for the time to come when she 
could live on the land and go to 
school and study, when she could 
know other children and join their 


CRYSTALS. 191 


games, or go into the woods and pick 
flowers all day long. She sometimes 
imagined that she had a playmate on 
board the vessel who shared all her 
duties and pleasures; but this was so 
little like reality to her that she soon 
gave it up. Her father and mother 
had become accustomed to hearing 
her express her wish for a different 
life, but they had no means of changing 
their lot; so they lived. on and tried to 
cheer her. 

It was of no use; she would not be 
contented. She felt even more keenly 
than girls are apt to feel that her life 
was slipping away from her, and she 
knew and saw nothing but the sea, 
the rocking vessel and the gleaming 
lights at mast-head which were re- 
flected twinkling in the water. She 
would never stay in. the cabin any 


192 CRYSTALS. 


longer than she could help—it seemed 
to stifle her; and as soon as the 
sailors’ steps were heard above in the 
early morning, she sprang up and 
went upon the deck. There she 
stayed all day, either lying in the 
rigging or coiled up among the ropes 
and sails, playing with her little dog 
and talking or singing to herself. 
Sometimes she would lie so still for 
hours together that the sailors would 
pass by softly, thinking her asleep 
and fearing to wake her; but when 
any one of them came nearer, where 
he could see her face, he would find 
the large, mournful eyes wide open 
and the sad, wistful mouth fixed and 
still. 

One day, when she had Jain a long 
time in one of these thoughtful moods, 
she was roused by the sound of hur- 


CRYSTALS. 193 


ried feet, and rising, she walked 
across the deck, and found her father 
with several of the men watching the 
approach of the government steamer 
which carried oil for the lamps, and, 
what was more important to Nellie, 
sometimes brought newspapers. She 
went to the side of the vessel eagerly, 
and stood watching the little steam- 
boat as she came rolling along over 
the high waves. It had been rough 
during the night, and the approach 
was difficult, so that it was some time 
before she was safely secured. When, 
however, it was successfully accom- 
plished, the officer sprang on board 
the lightship, and was followed almost 
immediately by a gentleman at whom 
Nellie gazed in the most unfeigned 
astonishment. Not that he was in 


any way peculiar, but his dress was 
17 Si 


194 CRYSTALS. 


the garb of a gentleman, and there- 
fore strange to Nellie. His neat gray 
suit was relieved by spotless linen, 
and the hands and face were delicate, 
showing him to be accustomed only to 
indoor life. He was a man of middle 
age, with an open, genial countenance, 
and as Nellie observed him, was look- 
ing about the lightship with evident 
pleasure. 

Nellie’s astonishment was a at. 
rest in a moment, when the officer in- 
troduced her father. ‘Captain,’ he 
said, “this is Mr. Drummond, a 
friend of mine, traveling the rounds 
with me for his health. He has taken 
a wonderful fancy to this trim vessel 
of yours.” ' 

Captain Burges, pleased with the 
praise of his vessel, which he loved 
almost as much as ini daughter, led 


CRYSTALS. 195 


the stranger about, explaining its 
parts and pointing out its beauties. 
Nellie stood impatiently swinging to 
and fro by one of the ropes, waiting 
for them to finish their conversation 
and receive the oil, so that she might 
ask the officer for the batch of papers. 
By and by she found a chance just 
before they left, and stepping up to 
the officer, with her eager eyes lifted 
to his face, she made her request. 

“Captain Reynolds, you have 
brought some papers, haven’t you?” 

They all turned to her as the timid 
voice made the request, and the officer 
replied, regretfully, 

“TI am very sorry, Nellie, but I 
came away without them this time. 
I was in such a hurry, you see. It is 
too bad to disappoint you, but I won't 
forget next time.” 


196 CRYSTALS. 


“Next time will be three months 
from now,” returned the disappointed 
little girl, turning away and scarcely 
able to keep her lips from quiver- 
ing. 

She went and sat down mournfully 
on a hammock which had been hung 
for her at one side, and looked very 
hopeless. The stranger’s eyes fol- 
lowed her, and after a few minutes he 
left the other gentlemen and walked 
over to where she sat. | 

‘What do you have to read, little 
girl?” he asked, stopping beside the 
hammock. 

“Nothing but the little yellow 
spelling-book, and I know all that.” 

“You have a Bible, of course?” he 
asked rather than said. 

‘A Bible? No, sir, I think not.” 

“You know what I mean, do you 


CRYSTALS. 197 


not?” he asked in astonishment at 
her hesitation. 

‘T’ve heard the name, I believe, 
but I’ve never seen one,” replied 
Nellie. 

Mr. Drummond exclaimed in sur- 
prise and dismay. | 

“You know who God is, do you 
not?” he asked. 

“Yes, mother says God keeps the 
winds from swallowing the ship, and 
that he lives in heaven.” 

“That is true,” replied the gentle- 
man with a quick smile and in a low, 
earnest voice; ‘but there is more. 
God in heaven loves Nellie Burges 
very much, and he has given her this 
wonderful Bible, which tells about 
himself and his holy people.” 

Just then the officer called out to 


Mr. Drummond. that it was time: to 
17 # 


198 CRYSTALS. 


go; so hastily drawing a volume out 
of his pocket, he laid it on the lap 
of the little girl, saying, 

“There! you may have that; and 
remember when you read it that it 
was written by the great God, and 
every word is true.” 

He was gone before Nellie had time 
to say a word, and springing down 
upon the deck of the steamer, joined 
his friend. Nellie jumped from the 
hammock, and holding her book 
tightly in her hands, ran to the ves- 
sel’s side to call down to him and 
thank him. He looked up and an- 
swered just as the steamer pushed off, 
and the sight of the radiant little face 
which looked down at him, and the 
hands which clasped the Bible so 
closely, more than repaid him for his 
gift. The remembrance of the glad 


CRYSTALS. 199 


eyes followed him all that day, as the 
little steamer ploughed her way back 
to land, and when his wife asked him 
that night where he had been, he told 
her he believed he had been upon a 
missionary trip. 

As for Nellie, as soon as the boat 
was out of sight she ran back to her 
hammock, and curling herself up 
within it, opened her precious book. 
It had been used before, and opened 
at beautiful stories of God’s people, or 
the marvelous miracles of the Lord 
Jesus. Nellie read, almost with sus- 
pended breath, the story of Noah and 
Joseph and Samuel and Daniel and 
Ruth, the gentle, divine sweetness of 
the Saviour’s life, and finally the fear- 
ful death endured for us, and the glo- 
rious resurrection. Finally, I say; 
for she stopped there, to lean her head 


200 CRYSTALS. 


against. the hammock, to cry and sob 
in pity and wonder at the love where- 
with he loved us, “in that while we 
were yet sinners Christ died for us.” 
If you who have loved the Bible al- 
ways and treasured many of its blessed 
words can imagine what it would be 
to read that sublime history for the 
first time, you can know how Nellie 
felt. 

- The whole world. seemed changed 
when she left her seat and descended 
into the cabin for her supper. An 
atmosphere of joy and peace was all 
about her, and she held her little book 
close. I cannot tell you what it was 
to her. I need not tell, to you who 
know it well, how new beauties opened 
to her day after day as she read on 
and on. There was nothing in all her 
life now where her precious Bible did 


CRYSTALS, 201 


not seem to help her. She was never 
lonely. The wondrous book told her 
that the narrow life on board the 
lightship was God’s plan for her, and 
that by and by he would bring her 
into something happier and better; 
that he was watching over her, and 
none of these things should harm her. 
If she lay watching the waves, the 
dear book told her many beautiful 
things. In the windy. weather, when 
the white caps were curling all around 
the ship, she remembered ‘‘the Lord 
is mightier than the mighty wave;” 
that he ‘has placed the sand for the 
bound of the sea, that it cannot pass 
it, and though the waves thereof toss 
themselves, yet can they not prevail; 
though they roar, yet can they not 
pass over it.” 

On the calm, sunny days, when the 


202 ORYSTALS., 


water lay tranquil and smooth, lap- 
ping itself in little waves against the 
vessel’s side, she thought of those 
beautiful words, “ For the earth shall 
be filled with the knowledge of the 
glory of the Lord as the waters cover 
the sea,” and she felt, ‘He leadeth 
me beside the still waters.” 

If cabin duties called little Nellie, 
and her mother asked her assistance, 
she gave it cheerfully, knowing that 
the Lord had commanded it, and it 
was a joy to obey his command. If 
the sailors teased her, she bore it 
without anger or cross words, remem- 
bering the blessed words, “‘ Be ye kind 
one to another, tender-hearted, for- 
giving one another, even as God, for 
Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you.” 

If, when she was comfortably seated, 
she saw a group of the sailors doing 


ORYSTALS. 203 


nothing, she roused herself and went 
among them, to read and talk from 
her marvelous book, knowing who 
said, “Let him that heareth say, 
Come!” 

Every one said, “ Nellie is changed.” 
Her mother loved her help now, it 
was given so cheerfully; her father 
ceased to sigh that he could give her 
nothing better, since she seemed so 
contented; and the sailors made room 
for her, welcoming her and the book 
she loved so well. 

She wondered if it were the same 
world in which she had always lived, 
and if God was the same before she 
knew him. 

Yes, it was the same world and the 
same Father above, only Nellie had 
found what myriads of people had 
discovered before her, and as many 


204 CRYSTALS, 


more will after her—that life is never 
complete, never utterly settled, until 
that wondrous love which was poured 
out for us has been felt in our hearts 
in all its fullness and comfort. No 
life was ever so blessed and happy 
that it did not need it; and none so 
lonely and solitary but that the love 
of Christ could shelter and support 
and beautify it into such marvelous 
richness that the lowest, smallest life 
will seem grand and broad if lived 
for him. 


xX 


A GOOD ACTION IS NEVER LOST. 


VERY busy, wearisome life it 

was that Bob Turner lived. It 

made the little hands grow long 
and bony and the quiet face weak and 
pale to sit hour after hour until he 
had counted ten of them, at the great 
machine where the white sheets were 
being ruled for copy-books, and slide 
them under, one after another, until 
they were caught and ruled by the 
delicate pens which glided over the 
paper. Other little hands, white and 
plump, would take the copy-books by 


and by when they were finished, and 
18 205 


206 CRYSTALS. 


on the same sheets which he slid one 
by one away would trace the fairy 
lines which form words and sentences. 
But Bob never thought of this. He 
only knew how tiresome it was hour 
after hour, and that the pain never 
ceased, first in his shoulder and then 
in his head, often in both, until the 
noisy hum seemed drowning all his 
thoughts and senses. 

Sometimes, overcome by fatigue, he 
would nod over the flying sheets, and 
the jar and turmoil, the pain and 
weariness, would seem far away; but 
the moment his hand stayed its work 
a tap by no means gentle would rouse 
him to duty and to pain, and the 
steady din of the machinery would go 
on, on, as though it would never stop. 
It was not much better when it did 
cease at length and he went home; 


CRYSTALS. 207 


since his mother’s face was sad and 
anxious, for the father was away in a 
coasting vessel which had been given 
up for lost, and they were trying to 
struggle on without him who had 
been so kind and worked so hard for 
them. | 

Bob was thinking of all this one 
warm July day as he sat on the tall 
stool close to the buzzing machine. 
The beads of perspiration were stand- 
ing on his forehead, and he was wish- 
ing it was twelve o’clock. He was 
watching, first his sheets, and then 
some ladies who had entered the room 
from the farther end and were ex- 
amining the machinery, walking to- 
ward his corner all the while. Just 
then the machine stopped a moment 
for the adjustment of a band, and his 
attention was called back to his work, 


208 CRYSTALS, 


which needed care as it started again. 
He did not perceive, therefore, that 
one of the ladies stood at his elbow, 
until a gentle voice said, 

‘Little boy, you look warm and 
tired.” 

He glanced up quickly into the face 
above him, and fastened his dark, 
wistful eyes upon the young lady. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, hope- 
lessly, “I’m very tired.” 

‘“ How many hours do you work ?” 
she asked, pityingly. 

a Ham seven till six, with an bud 
at noon.’ 

She caught her breath and whis- 
pered to herself, “Ten hours, and so 
frail!” but she said to him: 

“You need something pleasant to 
think about during all these hours, 
don’t you 2?” 


CRYSTALS. 909 


He looked up, a little surprised, 
and replied, 

“T haven’t anything pleasant to 
think about.” 

“Did you ever hear of the Lord 
Jesus Christ?” she asked in a lower 
tone. 

* Yes, ma’am.” 

“Then you know that he was once 
a little boy as small as you are, but 
now on his throne in heaven he takes 
care of you and remembers how little 
boys feel. He is just like a shepherd, 
and his lambs are all the children 
who love him, and these he takes care 
of so that nothing can hurt them. So 
you can say, 

‘The Lord is my shepherd, and I am his lamb; 

One of the smallest and feeblest I am;’ 
and it is the little feeble lambs the 
Good Shepherd cares for most.” 


18 * 


210 CRYSTALS. 


The young lady took from her 
satchel a picture and fastened it to 
the frame just in front of Bob. 

“There is a picture representing 
the Good Shepherd,” she said; ‘ Jesus 
is the Good Shepherd who giveth his 
life for the sheep;’ and then she 
walked away. 

Just then the noon-bell sounded, 
and Bob dropped his hands, and 
looked at the picture with a face so 
full of feeling that the young lady 
should have been there to have seen 
it. When he could look away from 
it he went to get his dinner-basket, 
and on the top of it he found two 
ripe, juicy peaches. The smile with 
which they were received would have 
been thanks enough for the giver, and 
he sat down to his dinner with her 
words in his mind: 


CRYSTALS. Dil 


“The Lord is my shepherd, and I am his lamb ; 
One of the smallest and feeblest I am.” 


Somehow the words seemed to help 
his dinner along even more than the 
peaches, although nothing could be 
riper and sweeter than they. By and 
by the meal was over and the basket 
put in its place, and Bob went and 
leaned out of the window, to get a 
breath of fresh air. He sat there for 
some time, watching the wagons and 
carriages rolling along, heard the 
men shouting and all the confused 
noises of a great city. He was in- 
terested to watch and listen, but once 
in a while above the noise and tumult 
he could hear a gentle voice say, ‘‘ He 
is just like a shepherd, and his lambs 
are the children who love him.” And 
then all the rattling of carts, the paw- 
ing of horses and the screaming of 


, 212 CRYSTALS. 


men seemed to unite together and 
Say, 


“The Lord is my shepherd, and I am his lamb; 
One of the smallest and feeblest I am.” 


By and by he went back to his seat 
and his picture. The noon-bell struck, 
and with the pile of sheets before him 
he was ready for work. There was a 
little weary sigh as he placed his hand 
upon the top one, as if his shoulders 
ached, and he dreaded handling every 
one of that great number; but just 
then the director came along and 
started the machine. The paper was 
slipped into place, and the pens com- 
menced their rapid tracing of the 
blue lines across the white surface. 
But oh, blessed comfort! the machine 
began to sing to Bob. He had never 
heard it sing before; the rush and 


CRYSTALS. ) 13 


rumble seemed all to. sink into one 
sweet tune: | | 

“The Lord is—my shepherd—and I am—his ita} 

One of the—smallest—and feeblest—I am.’ 

It seemed to Bob if the pile were 
twice as high he could slide every 
sheet through to those words, for he 
knew they were so sweetly true. 

“¢Tt is the little feeble lambs the 
Good Shepherd cares for most,’ she 
said,” he repeated, with his eyes on 
the picture. 

“What are you smiling about?” 
asked the director, coming round by 
his side to oil the machinery. 

“T am listening to the music of the 
machine,” he replied, as it stopped, 
and he rested his arm a moment upon 
the pile of sheets. 

«“Tt’g not very smiling kind of music 
that it makes for me,” said the director, 


214 CRYSTALS, 


starting it again; but Bob didn’t hear 
him say this, for the music had com- 
menced again. 

By and by came six o’clock and the 
bell. 

“Why, I did not know it was so 
late,” cried Bob, jumping from his seat. 

“Ain't you ready to go home?” 
asked the director. 

“YT don’t know whether I am or 
not,” replied Bob, with a queer smile, 
as he took down the picture of the 
Good Shepherd and hid it away till 
the next morning. 

He carried a brighter face with 
him than he had ever done before as 
he trudged along toward home, swing- 
ing his dinner-basket. He didn’t look 
up until he was close to the door, and 
then who should he see in the door- 
way but his father ? 


CRYSTALS. 215 


‘Oh, father!” he cried, and sprang 
toward him joyfully, laughing and 
erying. His mother’s face was full 
of happiness as she kissed him. 

“God has sent father back: to us, 
Bob,” she said. 

“That is because ‘the Lord is my 
shepherd,’” said Bob to himself. 

“Tm glad you’ve come, if only for 
Bob’s sake,” said the mother to the 
father, ‘for = are killing him in 
that factory.” 

“They couldn’t do that,” thought 
Bob, “for I am His lamb.” 

“He looks tired out, poor little 
boy!” said the father. 

“¢One of the smallest and feeblest 
I am,’” said Bob to himself. 

The next day Bob went to the fac- 
tory to say “ good-bye,” for his father 
found a good situation on shore, and 


216 CRYSTALS, 


his son was to be sent to school to 
study. Bob took the picture of the 
Good Shepherd away with him, and 
bade farewell, with a cheery heart, to 
the great machine which had tired 
him so day after day. 

The Lord indeed had been his 
Shepherd! He had watched over 
him when the poor little boy in the 
big workshop had seemed to be for- 
gotten. Now he is brought into the 
green pastures. 

Ever after, at morning and even- 
ing, when his prayer was said, he 
would gladly think, as he remem- 
bered the Good Shepherd, what a 
blessed thing it is to be one of the 
lambs of Jesus. 


THE END. 


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